'Snoop' stuns with down-to-earth act after wowing fans with 'best ever' AFL Grand Final performance - but all is not what it seems

Aussies were stunned to see Snoop Dogg's doppelgänger lining up at the airport on Sunday after the US rapper delivered a pre-game show at the AFL grand final unlike any in recent memory.

Snoop Dogg, 53, ripped through a stunning nine-song set on Saturday that featured a slew of classics and a few surprises.

While some viewers had mixed reactions to the star's performance, the commentary online was overwhelmingly positive, with fans taking to social media to hail the star as the 'King of Rap' and describing it as the 'best ever' performance.

On Sunday, fans thought they had spotted the rapper in Melbourne at the airport, but it was his 'official doppelganger', Eric Finch.

Finch, 57, was flown to Australia by the marketing agency Bolster to stir up crowds in a guerrilla campaign for wine brand 19 Crimes, ahead of Snoop's performance ion Melbourne.

'I don't know what happened,' he told 10 News, when questioned about his uncanny likeness to the rap icon.

'I just got blessed, and next thing you know, I look like him, or rather he looks like me.' 

Finch had a great time in Australia, telling 10 News how much he loved the people of Melbourne. He also revealed that he never lies about being Snoop Dogg.

'I tell them the truth. I say: "Well no, I'm not Snoop, but we do look a little bit alike. My name is Eric Finch",' he said.

The AFL's decision to hire Snoop Dogg for the Grand Final has received backlash in recent weeks, with concerns arising that he would be booed when he stepped on stage, given his recent comments about same-sex couples and lyrics in his songs.

The league copped further criticism for Snoop Dogg's appointment after the AFL handed Adelaide forward Izak Rankine a four-match ban for a homophobic slur that was made during Adelaide's game against Collingwood in August.

Some claimed that the AFL had been hypocritical for hiring Snoop Dogg, despite its zero-tolerance approach to homophobia.

AFL CEO Andrew Dillon recently defended the decision to pay Snoop Dogg a rumoured $2 million to perform at the Grand Final.

'We cannot vouch for every lyric in every song ever written or performed by any artist who has or will appear on our stage, Australian or international,' he said.

'It's also important to remember that we have engaged Snoop Dogg in 2025 as the person he is today.

'He has spoken publicly about his past, he has changed, and today he is a grandfather, philanthropist, he helps rehabilitate youth, and he's a global entertainer who has performed at both the Super Bowl and the Olympic closing ceremony to audiences of more than 100 million people.

'In those environments, his performances were appropriate and well-received, and his performance this year at our Grand Final will be fitting for the best sporting event in the country.'