Tina Arena’s AFL Final performance draws the most humiliating comparison in footy… but here’s what they’re REALLY angry about

Tina Arena’s performance with Katy Perry in the AFL Grand Final left many Australians furious, but it wasn’t just her vocal talents that had them struggling.

AFL bosses were reportedly hoping Katy and Tina’s star duet at the MCG would replicate the success of Delta Goodrem’s track with Robbie Williams in 2022.

However, there was much to admire as fans did not shy away from making their criticism of the very short duet clear in a series of scathing comments on social media.

Her ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ performance in front of 100,000 AFL fans was cruelly compared to Meat Loaf’s disastrous 2011 AFL Grand Final headliner.

But the Aussies’ anger was also due to the fact that Tina – an outspoken disapproval of Victoria’s strict Covid-19 lockdown rules – had signed up for the gig.

While performing in front of 100,000 enthusiastic AFL fans, Katy had Tina brought out midway through her 20-minute set for a duet of her smash hit I Kissed A Girl.

Dressed in co-ordinated metallic silver ensembles, the singers sang the iconic chorus to the 2008 record, before segueing into Tina’s popular hit Chains.

But many viewers were unimpressed by Tina’s very brief appearance on stage; they even went so far as to say she was worse than Meat Loaf in a savage dig.

The AFL infamously paid $500,000 to secure Meat Loaf for the 2011 Geelong-Collingwood final, which is widely regarded as the worst entertainment ever staged at the biggest game of the year.

One fan boldly claimed Tina had taken the crown, telling X – formerly known as Twitter –: “Even today #Meat Loaf would be better than #TinaArena #cooker #AFLGF.”

Another said: ‘If I had it I would have spent $5 million not to put up with Tina Arena,’ while a third wrote: ‘Tina Arena has officially surpassed Meat Loaf as the worst AFL GF entertainment. Damn, that was horrible!’

A fourth joked: ‘So the goal of the 1.5 minute Tina Arena at the #AFLGF was??? She and Katy didn’t even kiss during I Kissed a Girl!’

And a fifth added: ‘Meat Loaf is the worst #AFLGF entertainer. Katy Perry – Hold my Tina Arena.”

But before she even took the stage, angry Aussies had already called on AFL fans to ‘boo’ Tina Arena during the AFL final as they were outraged by her involvement.

Many AFL fans criticized AFL bosses’ decision to include Tina in the line-up, citing her divisive comments about Daniel Andrews’ lengthy Covid lockdowns in Victoria.

A fan wrote to

Another said: ‘SHOW DEAF! Why on earth would the AFL choose a washed up 90s French wannabe as entertainment? Have they learned nothing from Meat Loaf?’

A third wrote: ‘Katy Perry performing with Tina Arena tomorrow. It will be interesting to see how many boos she gets from the 100,000 people in the stadium.”

“I’m reserving my thoughts on Tina Arena’s performance with Katy Perry at the AFL GF for now,” a fourth tweeted.

While another said: ‘Please tell me the Victorians are going to boo the Tina Arena?’

However, other fans shared their delight that Tina took to the stage with the Roar hitmaker as they praised the collaboration and showed her support amid the criticism.

One wrote: ‘I love Tina Arena! She is an absolute legend,” and another said, “Lmao society is fucked when they boo Tina Arena.”

A third said: ‘Tina Arena is a great choice,’ while a fourth said: ‘I forgot how good Tina Arena is.’

A fifth wrote: “Melbourne at its best with the jewel in our crown, amazing Tina,” and another added: “Tina you are a true Melbourne icon.”

Tina previously sparked controversy with her condemnation of the country’s very strict Victorian Covid-19 lockdowns and sparked anger when she revealed she had broken the rules to oppose what she called a “totalitarian” system.

She did not publicly support any conspiracy theory, but admitted that she had broken the rule advising citizens not to travel more than three miles from home unless necessary.

‘Why are you not allowed to drive further than five kilometers? Guess what – look at me. So I did. I’ve gone past my five kilometres,” she told The Weekend Australian last year.

‘Am I a criminal now? Will you pull me up? Pull me up. Do you want to fine me? Fine me. I’m not the one with the problem here.

‘The problem is that there is no logic. You have no right to do that. You’re fining me. This is totalitarian. That’s not how we work.’

Tina further claimed she had not heard anyone else complain about the strict lockdowns, as she doubled down on her criticism of the strict rules.

‘I haven’t heard anyone else complaining during the lockdown: ‘Why are we locked up? Where is your science? What? Why?,” she continued.

‘The fear was so great for me; it was suffocating me, I thought: I can’t stand it that you are all so fear-driven and compliant.’

In August last year, Tina broke her silence on the widespread backlash when she admitted she had faced ‘difficulty’ over her vocal stance, but encouraged others to stand up for what they believe in.

She said: ‘Mine was hard too for a number of different reasons. What I felt was not only an extraordinary burden, but it’s also a position I took that many people don’t really agree with.”

Speaking about Jonesy and Amanda, she told listeners that she was not willing to ‘hold back’ her own opinions and that people are free to think whatever they want.