FEW things unite Melbourne’s footy fans, but this red, white and blue fence in the Bulldogs’ enemy territory has received a groundswell of support after it was the subject of an official complaint.

In the ultimate first-world problem, a loyal Western Bulldogs fan who painted their Malvern East fence to celebrate the club’s drought-breaking premiership has found themselves on the outer with at least one of their neighbours.

HAVE YOUR SAY: Should council be able to regulate the fence colours of private properties? Tell us in the comments below

But footy fans have defended the home owner’s right to decorate the fence however they like.

In the words of reader Tony Zerafa, the complaining neighbour could “stick it right up em...in the words of a famous Bulldog!”

media_camera The offending fence that a Stonnington councillor believes is “inappropriate”.

media_camera Yarraville’s Railway Hotel also showed its true colours, with owner Jason Sneddon painting it red, white and blue. Picture: Kylie Else

Reader Jack Wayne also said: “I’m guessing the neighbours are baby boomers, Hawthorn supporters or both.”

A club legend has also come to the resident’s defence, saying footy fans should be able to paint their fence whatever colours they wanted.

Stonnington councillor Sally Davis said she received a complaint from a homeowner who lives near the Beaver St property.

This led Cr Davis to ask council officers at a council meeting last month what policies, if any, regulated fence colours in the municipality.

Speaking to Leader after the meeting, she said there were a lot of heritage properties in that part of Malvern East and she personally believed the football-inspired fence colours were inappropriate.

media_camera Jimmy Best was another homeowner who painted his fence ahead of last year’s Grand Final. Picture: Aaron Francis/The Australian

“I think we should have some street regulations. Apparently there are no restrictions and I am going to follow it up with the (council’s) planning department,” Cr Davis said.

“I think when it’s a football team, it’s a bit over the top.”

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But Western Bulldogs football great Doug Hawkins said proud football fans should be allowed to paint their fence any colour they want.

“It’s their property and if they want to paint it red, white and blue, so what? When I was a kid growing up in the western suburbs, every second house had their fence painted,” Hawkins said.

media_camera Mad Doggies supporter Cam Duncan painted the fence of his Beach Rd home in Sandringham to show his support.

Australian Grand Prix Corporation chief executive Andrew Westacott also weighed in on the topic on 3AW this morning, saying no heritage building or statute of limitations put a smile on faces like the colourful fence did.

“I see a lot of people going past and smiling at it,” he said.

THE SOUTH TURNS RED, WHITE AND BLUE

The passionate Bulldogs fan said his fence was painted in the Doggies’ colours as well after their drought-breaking premiership win, but admitted it had since returned to its original hue.

“I put a line in sand and painted it back mostly. My wife and her friends painted it, I just repainted it back,” he said.

The council’s chief executive Warren Roberts said the Beaver St home was impacted by a heritage overlay but a planning permit was not required by the resident to paint their fence.

Western Bulldogs premiership captain Easton Wood Western Bulldogs premiership captain Easton Wood

“Compliance penalties are determined on the specific details of each contravention. In this instance no contravention has occurred,” he said.

Mr Roberts also said there were no council policies or planning provisions pertaining to permissible fence colours across the municipality.

The owner of the Bulldogs-themed fence did not respond by deadline to the Leader’s request for comment and the neighbour who made the complaint did not wish to comment.

Meanwhile, fence disputes continue to be the top reason for neighbourhood disputes, new data has revealed.