Manchester City leaves ‘weirdest post ever’ ahead of AFL Grand Final

They say it pays to have friends in high places and ahead of the biggest game of the year, the AFL will put the saying to the test.

Man City are hoping for a good game. Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images

The AFL Grand Final is a massive deal inside Australia but it rarely seems to register outside of expats outside our border.

But a “random” post from EPL giants Manchester City has left Aussie footy fans baffled ahead of the biggest game on the AFL calendar.

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Ahead of the highly anticipated clash between the Melbourne Demons, who are looking to end the AFL’s longest premiership drought of 57-years, and the Western Bulldogs, looking for a second in five years, one of the biggest and most expensive clubs in the world has sent its best wishes.

Earlier this year, Forbes ranked Manchester City alongside the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams as the equal 13th most valuable sporting organisation in the world at $US4 billion ($A5.5b), a big price increase, when the club was bought by Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008 for a reported $US385 million.

Only five football clubs — and only Manchester United ($US4.2b) and Liverpool ($US4.1b) — in the EPL were ranked higher on the Forbes list.

But the defending Premier League champions took to Instagram on Friday to wish both AFL Grand Final teams good luck.

Man City baffled fans with this post. Photo: Instagram

The comments that followed were overwhelmingly from fans baffled by where it had come from.

Commenters questioned the post, writing “I love It how the AFL official account replied to this. What’s the reason for posting about the AFL GF?” and “wtf why is city posting about our sport”.

Sports broadcaster and football expert Daniel Garb took to Twitter about the baffling post.

Desperate attempt to lure more overseas fans? Trying to somehow show support for Melbourne City (don’t know how)? Charm offensive ahead of the upcoming Four Corners story?

Weirdest EPL club post ever.

— Daniel Garb (@DanielGarb) September 24, 2021

One commenter to Garb’s post said that it was something the City Football Group — who own Manchester City and Melbourne City in the A-League — do for other teams in the group but Garb replied “But this has nothing to do with the City Football Group.”

Man City are the defending EPL champs. Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images

Another pointed out that it was targeted only at Australian Instagram users.

Garb’s suggestion that it was a “Charm offensive ahead of the upcoming Four Corners story?” comes ahead of a Four Corners documentary looking into the foreign ownership of A-League clubs including Melbourne City, Sydney FC and the Brisbane Roar and what the ABC website terms “the faceless investors backing Adelaide United”.

In a piece of perfect timing, Man City’s clash with EPL ladder leaders Chelsea kicks off at 9.30pm AEST, which will coincide with the latter stages of the AFL Grand Final from Perth.