It sounds like a late April fool’s joke, but Footy Show clown Sam Newman is reportedly considering running for mayor of Melbourne.

The Herald Sun has reported that Mr Newman is considering trying to topple Lord Mayor Robert Doyle, running on a Donald Trump-style “anti-political correctness platform”.

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Mr Newman told The Herald Sun he was concerned about the “feel of the city”, hinting that Melbourne had become grubby and unappealing and needed a strong presence to get things back in to shap.

“It’s about graffiti, litter and a few other things,” he told the paper.

“Melbourne needs a little bit of tweaking.”

Mr Newman, an unashamed fan of controversial US presidential hopeful Trump, told News Corp that he had been encouraged to run by backers whom he declined to name, but who he said were keen to see a forthright voice in city hall.

Cr Doyle is going for an unprecedented third term in the October elections, with pollster Gary Morgan so far the only other candidate.