When Tom Jones fans around the world saw his name trending on Twitter on Saturday, some assumed the worst.

They were not to know the now white-haired Welshman was in Melbourne at the AFL grand final, belting out Delilah to nearly 100,000 people.

They knew nothing of the minor controversies he was causing, such as his reference to the sportsmen as "rugby players" and the reports he had called a TV presenter "a d--head".