Channel Seven’s national AFL panel show The Front Bar has taken aim at Hobart’s anti-stadium protesters, making light of their catchy chants while throwing support behind the project.
“I know a lot of other shows have taken their focus off the Tassie stadium but we won’t,” said co-host Andrew Maher.
“It’s crunch time. It’s about to go through parliament, if they don’t get through the upper house, they’re cooked… it’s over,” co-host Mick Molloy said.
“The problem is there’s a very vocal minority…I don’t know if it is minority, but of locals who do not want it.”
They then played footage of protesters, including actress Essie Davis, singing their now-famous chant from 2023 “Stick your stadium up your bum.”
Molloy joked it was “one of the great protest songs ever written,” before showing the 2025 version from last weekend’s anti-stadium protest – featuring the updated lyrics “all the way up your bum.”
“See what they’re doing now. That’s even angrier,” Molloy said.
“Now the stadium it’s getting a prostate check.”
The weekend rally drew attendance from politicians Senator Jacqui Lambie, Greens MLC Cassy O’Connor and independent MPs Andrew Wilkie, Kristie Johnston, Meg Webb and Craig Garland.
Protesters criticised Premier Jeremy Rockliff’s decision to fast-track the $755 million Macquarie Point stadium project after abandoning standard planning procedures following a negative draft report.
Legislation to bypass normal planning processes is expected to reach Parliament within weeks, with independent Upper House members likely to hold the most crucial votes.
