Every dad knows that he can't always be there to protect his daughter - especially when she hits puberty and romance becomes a central concern of daily life.

However, one Australian father appears to have found a way around the problem.

Kit Dale has issued his daughter with a T-shirt that is emblazoned with a picture of him topless and the words 'Stay Clear Boys, this is my dad!'

And since the concerned dad is a heavily tattooed and muscular two-time world pro Brazilian jiu-jitsu champion, the warning appears to carry genuine menace.

The picture of Dale has gone viral since it was shared on Facebook four days ago, receiving over 350,000 'Likes' and garnering an avalanche of comments across social media.

However, not all the comments find the T-shirt as funny as Dale. Some commenters have labelled Dale self-absorbed, while others have argued that the T-shirt doesn't respect the daughter’s free-will.

"How about a shirt that says "attention boys...this is my body and I do what I want with it...neither you nor my dad make any of the rules...and ps I may not even be into boys," one person felt moved to write under the picture on Facebook.

On Reddit, meanwhile, the most upvoted comment on a message board about the T-shirt reads: "What he's succeeded in doing is ensuring that his daughter takes her shirt off the moment he isn't around."