Wait until you see the massive sign an Aussie bookie has put next to Melbourne airport to greet the Lions

We reckon some of the Lions in the window seats on Saturday won’t appreciate seeing this.

As publicity stunts go, Aussie bookie sportsbet have really gone all out with this effort. This massive sign, which they claim is in fact the world’s largest painting at 170m wide by 90m tall, or 15,030 square metres, is on the flight path into Melbourne airport, where the Lions will be flying into on Saturday after the Brisbane Test. And what will our brave boys see as they peer out the window of the plane? A wallaby getting intimate with a lion beside the phrase ‘Rooting for the Wallabies’. ‘Rooting’ as you probably know, is Aussie slang for a, well, we’re sure you can guess. Anyway, Sportsbet claim the cartoon wallaby is only ‘cuddling’ the lion and the company’s Haydn Lane said: “What better way to get behind the Wallabies than to create a massive wallaby getting behind a lion?" Indeed. Time for Paddy Power to strike back we think…

Update: Just been informed that Paddy Power own Sportsbet. It all makes sense now.

Lions coverage on JOE brought to you in association with Kellogg’s, official cereal & snack provider to the IRFU.