At the 2000 Olympics a small wombat with an oversized posterior captured the world's attention.
Decades later, this unsung hero of sport calls the MCG home - and continues to create a stir…
The Australian Sports Museum is located at Gate 3 of the MCG. Inside you will find a treasure trove of rare and historic memorabilia – items that capture unforgettable moments from sports history and pop culture.
The Museum prides itself on highlighting the unique aspects of sporting culture within Australia – from grassroots through to the top level – with interactive displays, activities and videos complimented by artefacts from iconic moments.
The Olympic Gallery is worth a day in itself.
Here, the collection proudly displays the suit Cathy Freeman wore during the 400-metre final in Sydney. Herb Elliott’s shoes from the 1960 games in Rome are on display, as are the uniforms from the first ever beach volleyball event. And in the centre of all this glory lives one furry little friend…
Fatso that fat-arsed wombat.
Bursting to fame during the Sydney 2000 Olympics, Fatso was created by comedy duo Roy and HG and featured heavily during their late-night TV show The Dream. Billed as “The People’s Mascot,” Fatso was designed to counter the heavy commercialism associated with the official mascots of Syd, Millie, Olly and Lizzie.
The wombat was Roy and HG’s animal of choice because it was the least athletic Australian creature. The name was plucked from television program A Country Practice, in which one of the characters kept a pet wombat named “Fatso.” The oversized posterior was a creative addition.
Fatso began to cause problems after Michael Klim took the plush toy onto the podium during the medal ceremony for the men’s 4x 200m freestyle relay. As the Aussies celebrated winning gold, the world met - and fell in love with - Fatso.
More athletes including Susie O’Neil and Gary Hall Jnr began posing with Fatso for photographs. High ranking Olympic officials were grilled about the wombat during press conferences as the international media was particularly enamoured with “The Battler’s Prince” - another title Roy and HG gave to Fatso.
One thing led to another, and the Australian Olympic Committee was forced to step in and ban athletes from appearing with Fatso altogether. Commercial obligations to the real mascots meant that the cheeky little wombat could no longer appear before the cameras – even though fans were unable to purchase a Fatso of their own.
Yet despite the resistance Fatso continued to rule the games. For many he became an enduring icon of Australia’s affection for sport and irreverent sense of humour.
Fast forward to 2025 and a giant-sized version of Fatso The Fat-Arsed Wombat can be found as the centrepiece to the Olympic Gallery at the Australian Sports Museum. Here, visitors can admire, hug and – age permitting – climb upon this loveable larrikin.
But all this physical attention results in The Battler’s Prince taking a beating, and so from time to time the Museum sends Fatso off for a little bit of TLC. So, join Fatso in the latest MCG ORIGINAL (above) as he briefly departs his MCG home for some much-needed pampering.
You can see Fatso in the Australian Sports Museum, located inside Gate 3 of the MCG. Click here for details and tickets.
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