Craig Foster hugged his daughter. What is the big deal?

Former international footballer Craig Foster hugs his kids.

Apparently, that’s a problem.

Foster, who now works for SBS, is being attacked on Twitter over footage of him with his arm across his 8-year-old daughter’s chest during the national anthem before the Australian Legends v Liverpool Legends match in Sydney last night.

In the footage Foster can be seen moving his arm up and down across his daughter’s chest -which many commenters have criticised as inappropriate.

Come on. Parents hug their children all the time. They don’t see them as a collection of sexulised body parts. They are just their children.

At first it appeared that people didn’t know the girl was Foster’s daughter, but even after that was made clear, the criticism continued.

After the game (which the Australians lost, 4-0) Foster tweeted: “Was very special for all the players to have our children share tonight’s experience as mascots. My beautiful 8 yo daughter. Unforgettable.”

He was immediately attacked.

“At least buy her dinner first you weirdo,” wrote one person.

“Regardless that she’s your daughter the way you touched her is inappropriate. You even stroked her nipple. Very odd,” another said.

Foster responded by saying he would have treated any of his children the same way.

Foster has since told The Daily Mail that he didn’t think he’d done anything wrong.

“Well that’s my daughter,” he said.

And he’s had some support on social media as well, with numerous posters coming to his defence.

Foster said the match had been a family affair.

“It was great to have our daughters and sons with us,” Mr Foster said.

Organisers of the match said all the players had been invited to bring their children out for the anthem, and many of them can be seen hugging their children throughout.

“It was a wonderful, innocent occasion for all of the players and their children,” a spokesperson for event promoter Blackbridge said.