A SPATE of violent post-match brawls between football fans at Etihad Stadium has resulted in a major crackdown of security with Victoria Police to increase its presence at the ground this weekend.
Several ugly incidents have been caught on camera over the past two rounds, prompting discussions between Etihad Stadium and Victoria Police on Monday.
The latest fight occurred on Friday night after Collingwood’s win over the Western Bulldogs.
Phone vision captured two groups of middle-aged men involved in a bloody brawl in the Medallion Club.
One patron involved has since been identified and issued with a permanent lifetime ban from Etihad Stadium, a first in the venue’s history.
The AFL has also cancelled the patron’s AFL membership on Monday, ruling that the individual will never be allowed to apply for an AFL or club membership again.
"The incident that occurred in the Medallion Club last Friday night is abhorrent and fundamentally opposite to everything that the stadium stands for," Etihad Stadium CEO Michael Green told reporters on Monday afternoon.
"We are working closely with Victoria Police to identify those involved and we’ll take decisive action against anyone breaching the stadium’s conditions of entry.
"I can advise today that one person involved from Friday night has been identified and we are currently in the process of communicating to that person that they will be permanently banned from attending events at the stadium in the future.
"We will continue to review our security processes in liaison with Victoria Police. I would like to remind patrons that their safety is our number one priority and we will not accept any behaviour that puts that safety at risk."
In the wake of the latest incident, Victoria Police will beef up its presence at matches this week at Etihad Stadium to ensure there isn’t another repeat of Friday night.
Victoria Police Acting Commander David Clayton insisted there wasn’t an increase in violence at sporting matches, instead pointing out the prevalence of social media had shone a bigger spotlight on ugly brawls.
"I think across all sporting events there are a lot more people with the ability to broadcast," he said.
"I would suggest there are no more or no less incidents occurring, it’s just that with social media everyone has the opportunity to broadcast so I think that’s what we are seeing [not an increase in violence]."
Both Etihad Stadium and Victoria Police acknowledged the importance of responsible service of alcohol to assist in stopping physical fights.
Acting Commander Clayton said it would be naïve to think that drugs weren’t also an issue.
Mid-strength beer is currently served in public bar areas at the venue, while corporate patrons have access to full-strength beer.
Reducing the strength of alcohol served has not being ruled out as an option, but Green said they would consider a range of options in their review.
Acting Commander Clayton said police were aware that patrons were more likely to pre-drink before a night game, and that all members were on alert to ensure intoxicated fans were not allowed entry into the venue.
Etihad Stadium also confirmed that last weekend two patrons were refused entry on the grounds that they were too drunk.
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