Sports field doodling angers Vic mayor

A crude 'artist' has used three suburban Melbourne sports fields to create giant shapes of male genitalia, so big they have been picked up by satellite.

Google Earth imaging on Wednesday showed the penis-and-testes outlines at Thornbury's John Cain Memorial Park, Hayes Park, and Preston's TW Blake Park.

At Hayes Park, one of the phalluses stretches almost the entire length of a cricket ground, and at John Cain another is carved out between the goal posts of a soccer field.

It appears the shapes have been mown into grass and at some sites, turf has started to grow back.

Local mayor Susan Rennie is frustrated by the grass graffiti.

"Darebin Council condemns this type of irresponsible vandalism on our parks and sportsgrounds," she said in a statement.

"It is not a cheap joke - fixing the affected ovals is complex, costly and time-consuming.

"Council is taking action to remove the graffiti, but it can take months for the grass to recover, during which time our community are left using sub-standard grounds which can be a safety hazard."

At each location there is at least two outlines.