Hobart’s Afro-man: Why lifelong Richmond fan swapped jumpers during North Melbourne game

HE BECAME a surprise TV hit during Friday night’s footy. Now Hobart’s ‘Afro-man’ explains the his mid-match jumper switch, and his eye-catching look.

Jim Kean at the footy in Hobart.

HE BECAME a surprise TV hit during Friday night’s footy broadcast. Now the story behind Hobart’s ‘Afro-man’ — and his mid-match jumper switch — can be told.

Avid sports fan Jim Kean, 20, shot to television and social media stardom during North Melbourne’s historic 70-point thrashing of Richmond at Blundstone Arena.

With the Tigers getting pounded from pillar to post on the field, it didn’t take long for the Channel 7 cameras to turn their attention to the colour and movement among the record 17,844 fans in attendance for the state’s first AFL Friday night match.

Kean is hard to miss, fro (sorry, couldn’t help ourselves) obvious reasons and his loyalty was questioned by commentators after he was spotted in a Richmond top early in the game before leaving in a Kangaroos jumper.

“I’ve been a Richmond supporter all my life, but getting to see AFL in Hobart is absolutely great,” the 20-year-old University of Tasmania business student told SuperFooty.

“I have been a North Melbourne member since they started playing in Hobart so that I can attend the games.

“I respect them for that (playing in Hobart), and treat them like a second side, that’s why I have been seen wearing both Richmond and North Melbourne gear.

“It’s absolutely a dream come true to see Richmond and North playing down here as I can’t afford to go to Melbourne very often to watch them play.”

Jim Kean on Friday night.

Jim Kean watching his adopted Roos early in the year.

Kean, who regularly attends sporting events in Hobart with his brother Calvin and friend Jay Bowden, said mates talked him into switching colours midway through the game.

“I had a mate with me who wanted to wear the North jumper for the game, as he is a Saints supporter,” he said.

“But after the first quarter he kept egging me on to put it on myself to see what reaction I got and then I also received a couple calls from mates also telling me to put the North guernsey on.

“So I just did it for a bit of a laugh.”

Jim Kean with proud Tasmanian product Jack Riewoldt. Picture: Facebook

No prizes fro (sorry!) guessing that forward Ben Brown is Kean’s favourite North Melbourne player, but it’s got nothing to do with the Roo’s mop of hair.

“Ben Brown is my favourite due to him being a local product, while Jack Riewoldt is probably my favourite at Richmond for the same reason,” said Kean, who is studying business, majoring in finance and accounting.

Ben Brown's brother?! How's the hairdo!! #AFLNorthTigers @NMFCOfficial pic.twitter.com/KmmbkB8sMv

— AFL on 7 (@7AFL) June 3, 2016

Kean has been growing his eye-catching hairstyle for nine years but had it shaved off for charity when he was 12 — raising $3000 for the Leukaemia Foundation.

“I haven’t shaved it completely since, but I usually get a yearly trim just to tidy it up,” he said.

“A quick brush every morning is all it takes.”

And he says the change of loyalty seen nationwide on Friday night won’t be permanent, despite Friday night’s result.

“The Tigers are struggling but I will always stick by them.”