Anti social Behaviour at the footy

[Ghost Dog]

I'm interested to know the perceptions of long time attendees of games at the G or other stadiums.

IYO is it getting better or worse?

I grew up in Hamilton ( Picken Territory! ) so never had the opportunity to attend many games - grew up watching it on telly.

Recently, I attended a game with friends and I noticed how volitile it was outside Etihad.

Pimply, maurading gen y types with buffount hair, skinny jeans, spilling out of the stadium, tripping over their mouths.


My friend quickly whipped off his colours as they were the losing side and he didn't want any trouble.

Even with kids present, some refuse to tone down the vitriol. started to make me think. Has it always been this way? or is crowd behaviour on the downer

Or, is it just worse in a different way but better in others?

[G-Mo77]

It's a lot tamer now. The stories I hear from guys at work about Victoria Park are pretty scary

[EasternWest]

I'm not sure GD. I've never really seen any overt displays of aggression TBH. I'm not a real stirrer, and I don't respond to other supporters taunting, so it's never effected me. FWIW, I still love going to games, and I still love that our spectators can mingle without needing to be separated.

[LostDoggy]

I've seen some pretty bad incidents, but they are the exception rather than the norm. Most in attendance behave themselves fairly well — better than me, anyway

[Dancin' Douggy]

I'm interested to know the perceptions of long time attendees of games at the G or other stadiums.

IYO is it getting better or worse?

I grew up in Hamilton ( Picken Territory! ) so never had the opportunity to attend many games - grew up watching it on telly.

Recently, I attended a game with friends and I noticed how volitile it was outside Etihad.

Pimply, maurading gen y types with buffount hair, skinny jeans, spilling out of the stadium, tripping over their mouths.


My friend quickly whipped off his colours as they were the losing side and he didn't want any trouble.

Even with kids present, some refuse to tone down the vitriol. started to make me think. Has it always been this way? or is crowd behaviour on the downer

Or, is it just worse in a different way but better in others?

Can you tell us which team the offending louts were supporting?
Might speak volumes.

Generally I have no trouble at the footy, though me and my mates were physically attacked by a crazed Swan supporter at a final at the MCG a couple of years ago. He literally came out of nowhere swinging haymakers with the look of a spanish fighting bull in his half glazed eyes. Screaming like a banshee.
His friends apologised, said he does it all the time and forcibly led him away (to some prison bound future no doubt). By the time security arrived the maniac was long gone and WE got hassled by security as some women had pointed to us saying we were the ones involved! We nearly got kicked out.

In the last quarter his friends came back again, thanked us for our composure, apologised again and wished us all the best in the finals. Must be hard work having a friend like that.

[AndrewP6]

I've never had masssive problems, since I've come back to going to the footy (2007). There's always a few dopes, grogged up to the eyeballs, and I've mentioned a few on here. But by and large, most are OK. I usually take headphones, and tune into the radio broadcast, so I probably miss a bit too! Being in a wheelchair, those stadiums can be a bit intimidating, especially with big crowds, I've found stadium staff, security and the cops to be pretty helpful if required.

[LostDoggy]

Friends and I have found AAMI crows supporters to be a bit over the top in their volatility against interstate teams, I got jumped on by two guys for barracking too loud (I am very loud admittedly but not in an offensive/vulgar way). A carlton supporter from work was spat on 2 years ago. I wont take the kids to a crows game ever.

[LostDog]

I was coming out of Patterson Stadium on Saturday and a Freo supporter was abusing a Geelong supporter in a large crowd of Freo supporters, calling him evey name under the sun and chasing him up the street.
All because he wore a Geelong Guernsey, plus it was super tight.

ran into graham polak at the subi hotel as well after there come from behind win against North Ballarat

[Bulldog Joe]

There has always been an element of it and it can occur anywhere.

At the Essendon game I sat in the Medallion Club and had the unfortunate experience of sitting near a very loud, uneducated Essendon supporter. This supporter abused EVERY decision that did not go to Essendon and called for an Essendon free kick every time we touched the ball.

To top it off he then shouted abuse at Easton Wood as he was being assisted from the ground with a serious injury. This reached my boiling point and I told him that the abuse was totally unnecessary.

I then corrected myself and told him "No it is just obnoxious". This did at least stop his vitriol as his Essendon supporting girlfriend told him that she agreed with me.

I have had some unpleasant experiences including one at the Whitten Oval in 1993 where I sat next to a Hawthorn supporter who called for Peter Foster to have his leg broken AGAIN whenever he got near the ball.

I was also threatened with violence in 2004 when on the train after another Rhode inspired shellacking against Collingwood, I was verbally attacked by a Richmond supporter as I was telling a few Bulldog travellers that we all needed to write to Smorgon to have Rhode replaced.

Apart from those incidents I have generally found supporters ok and always enjoy attending with an opposition supporter as it gives a more even handed analysis of the game.

[LostDoggy]

After game trains can be scarier than stadium crowds, but Aussie Rules fans are generally a pretty genial lot, nothing like the soccer mobs we have here in parts of Europe, or full on soccer gangs (well organised ones that fight with police!) I've seen in places like Chile and Turkey. Italian neo-nazi skinhead 'ultras' can also be quite scary, and the fact that they are paid for by political parties and their activities are tacitly condoned by the police just makes it that much more frightening.

I love how families can go to the footy in Australia, and where I used to sit (Level 1, Aisle 30-something) I had oldies around me who had been there since day dot. The Camp Nou in Barcelona is like that, except that there all the old women smoke like chimneys! Spanish soccer crowds are great -- boisterous but generally friendly and harmless, much like Aussie Rules crowds, give or take one or two Crows/Port/Eagles/Pies fans.

[LostDoggy]

Nothing like getting on to a train back to Geelong after beating them. Walk into a carriage full of sour Cats supporters glaring at you and making comments, simply for wearing a Bulldogs guernsey.

I've been pretty good for violence at games, but Dad was verbally and nearly physically attacked by a Melbourne supporter (complete obnoxious, preppy twat). Could dish it out, but couldn't take it.


I personally dislike dirty old men that drunkenly stumble up to me and put their arms around me and scream into my face "GO THE DONS!" then proceed to scream their crappy song into my ear.
First of all, DON'T TOUCH ME. Ever.
Second of all, talk to me when your team actually MAKE the finals.

[Remi Moses]

Always had trouble with Carlton and Essendon fans back in the day!
Traveling to Windy Hill in the 80's was particulary scary!
I think now the big issue is the night games where getting juiced up before the game happens often.I find it amusing that we can report foul language yet you can purchase spirits and get tanked and that's all okay!!

[Go_Dogs]

I personally dislike dirty old men that drunkenly stumble up to me and put their arms around me and scream into my face "GO THE DONS!" then proceed to scream their crappy song into my ear.
First of all, DON'T TOUCH ME. Ever.
Second of all, talk to me when your team actually MAKE the finals.

Yeah, that's pretty ordinary.



I've never really had any issues, but when I go to see Dogs games at AAMI I'm generally pretty low-key with the amount of Dogs gear I'm wearing. Have certainly seen a few incidents at AAMI though when the Dogs have played.

[LostDoggy]

AFL crowds are fine on the whole. Try going to Hindmarsh as a Victory supporter. I went to the first HAL game over there as one of the oldest, supervising around 30 people younger. Crowded into one bay, surrounded by Reds supporters, with no segregation except the footpath, and we got scored against in the first ten seconds...

[LostDoggy]

For a long time I worked on Railway Stations which included a stint at West Foostcray...in the time I was there I always found Essendon supporters to clearly be the worst and most violent....I did on one famous day have two groups of Carlton supporters beating the bejeezus out of each other in the pit (the track area between platforms) this was the day Carlton almost failed to kick a goal for the entire game!!