A striking new mural in Melbourne has put former Victorian premier ‘Dictator Dan’ Andrews back in the spotlight, igniting fierce reactions on social media.

The mural, created by street artist Jarrod 'JGrech' Grech, appeared over the weekend in a laneway near Victoria Market. It depicts Andrews in a suit, stamped across with the word 'dictator' in Grech's signature red style.

Sharing his work online, Grech accompanied it with AC/DC’s ‘Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap’ and tagged it the 'Final Boss'.

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Within 48 hours, the artwork drew global attention with many giving it a thumbs up. One person wrote: "I cannot believe Victorians voted him back in... Stockholm syndrome is real. Love your work."

Another user described it as "the best artwork I've ever seen," while a third said: "it's a shame you do such amazing work I'd love to p*** on that."

A fourth commented: "Hate is a very strong word and have never felt or used it till 2020/21 towards this person."

Andrews resigned as premier in 2023 after his popularity fell following prolonged Covid-19 lockdowns. Since then, many business owners have reportedly refused to provide services to him or allow him into their venues.

The mural coincided with remarks from Australian billionaire James Packer, who recently called Andrews "human filth" and "my least favourite person." Speaking with Rampart host Joe Aston on his $200 million superyacht, Packer said Andrews "not only ruined Victoria, he almost ruined my life," referring to a last-minute casino tax hike during Blackstone's $8.9 billion takeover of Crown Resorts in 2022.

"With three weeks to go (on the sale to Blackstone) f**ing Daniel Andrews changes the tax rates on Crown and rips $50 million out of Crown and gives no compensation," Packer said. "It's a miracle that Blackstone didn't activate the material adverse change clause."

Earlier this year, Andrews also faced criticism after posing for a class photo with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping during a trip to China, drawing condemnation from senior Labor figures within his own party.