Statement attributable to AFL CEO Andrew Dillon

During last night’s game at the MCG, the AFL integrity team was made aware by Victoria Police that two patrons were arrested, and it is alleged both were carrying firearms.

Both men were quickly removed from the venue and remain in police custody, and I want to acknowledge the work of the police officers on the scene for acting swiftly to contain the situation.

Overnight the MCG worked to identify how the two men were able to enter the venue, which concluded that security personnel failed to do a thorough follow up search of the patrons after an alert from the entry point screening system.

First thing this morning I had a conference call with the MCG and Victoria Police.

There will be additional secondary security measures in place this weekend, and the MCC in conjunction with Victoria Police and the AFL will conduct an end to end review of security measures at the ground.

What happened last night is extremely disappointing, more than 1.2 million fans have attended the football so far this season and we will work closely with authorities to ensure the matches and venues continue to be a safe and welcoming place for all.

Both patrons who were arrested last night will be issued lifetime banning notices from the AFL for attending any match.