Footy personality Sam Newman may run for election as Melbourne Lord Mayor

FOOTBALL personality Sam Newman is considering a Town Hall tilt after being approached to run on an anti-political correctness platform. TAKE OUR POLL

Sam Newman is considering a run at the Lord Mayor’s role.

FOOTBALL personality Sam Newman is considering a Town Hall tilt after being approached to run on an anti-political correctness platform.

The Footy Show star, a proud supporter of US Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump, said he was also concerned about the “feel of the city”.

“It’s about graffiti, litter and a few other things,” Newman, 70, said.

“Melbourne needs a little bit of tweaking.”

Newman said he had been urged to run as a lord mayoral candidate at October elections in the wake of outspoken comments he had made on the popular Channel 9 program.

“They thought some of the things I’d said on The Footy Show would resonate with people, so that’s what it got to,” Newman said.

“I know why they want me to do it, but I’m wondering why I’d want to do it. I’m just contemplating that.”

Incumbent Lord Mayor Robert Doyle. Picture: Tim Carrafa

Challenger: Sam Newman. Picture Jay Town.

Newman declined to name the person who’s trying to draft him, but it’s understood to be a former City of Melbourne councillor.

If he ran, Newman would challenge Lord Mayor Robert Doyle, who is seeking an unprecedented third term.

The only other declared candidate at this stage is pollster Gary Morgan.

Newman said Cr Doyle was “a very good man” and running against him would not be a slight, “it’s just an alternate view I had about some things”.

The former Geelong champion has been a regular critic of the AFL’s social policy agenda and at times has been accused of sexism. Some activists and commentators have called for his sacking.

But Newman is unapologetic, saying that political correctness is “dogging the world as we know it”.

“We get intimidated by people who don’t think we should do certain things for various reasons ... we don’t want to infringe on a minority of people’s rights which is not in the best interests, naturally, of the majority,” he said.

Newman, who has been likened to Donald Trump in his outspokenness, said: “I’m a great supporter of Trump’s and very happy to say so.”

Cr Doyle was not available to comment.

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