The debut of Tasmania’s distinctive new AFL mascot ‘Rum’un’ has triggered a wave of colourful commentary from mainland Australians, with many taking to social media to express their bemusement.
Nine months and over 400 hours of work went into creating Rum’un, a character described by the club as being unmistakably Tasmanian.
Yet mainland critics have likened the mascot to everything from a New York subway rat to a character straight out of the 1990s ABC children’s program Feral TV.
“All the kids will be rum’un away”, wrote one commenter on the AFL’s official Instagram page, while another said “that dude looks like a piñata.”
Tasmania FC’s Kath McCann said the mascot’s unique island character might just give the team a competitive edge against their mainland rivals.
“Rum’un is known as an odd character … and an affectionate term of endearment for a Tasmanian,” she said.
“Obviously we don’t have any players yet, but we do have a team and Rum’un now takes a key place in our team.”
McCann hinted that Rum’un might have “a few friends” come first bounce in 2028.
“I’ve got aspirations about Rum’un … I’d love to see a Turbo Chook,” she revealed during a Local Radio interview on Wednesday.
Chief designer Bryony Anderson from Terrapin Puppet Theatre said she was tasked with creating something “kick-ass” but also friendly enough not to scare children.
“People said don’t make it like the Wiggles like all those other mascots,” she told Local Radio.
“Cheeky … comes first so the Auskick kids aren’t scared, but then it’s got a little bit of ‘don’t mess with me’ that it can pull out when it needs it.”
Anderson noted that Rum’un sports a Band-Aid on his knee as a nod to AFL players in Queenstown who have “bloody knees within minutes of the game starting” on the town’s famous gravel oval.
