The AFL in recent weeks has begun to alienate their own fans.
There have been several incidents that have seen patrons being ejected from matches for very minor indiscretions.
The first instance was when a Richmond fan was slapped with a three-match ban after allegedly calling an umpire a “green maggot”. There are reports that suggest this ban was originally for a year, but was reduced to three games after negotiations.
There have been several incidents since, including a Carlton fan being removed from Marvel Stadium for allegedly calling an umpire a “bald-headed flog”, and even infamous Collingwood fan Joffa saying he is boycotting all games until the AFL apologises to fans.
There have been multiple reports from the weekend of fans saying they feel intimidated by the presence of security at Marvel Stadium. This has caused Marvel CEO Michael Green to concede that increased security patrols may have gone too far.
This comes after the AFL stated that they have not given any new directives to security last week.
High-profile Collingwood fan Joffa Corfe is boycotting the AFL due to overzealous security. (Photo by Michael Dodge/AFL Media/Getty Images)
After last weekend, it is clear that the increased visibility of security did not stop a brawl from occurring after the Carlton-Bulldogs game on Saturday night.
It is weak that the AFL has not come out and provided any clarity on the issue. Whilst the governing body have said that they have not given any new directives to security, they must seek clarity from stadium management on behalf of their fans. They can then relay the message from stadium management to fans.
The AFL also have some control over fan behaviour via their integrity officers, so they must explain what these officers’ roles are.
Even though we are in 2019 and live in a very PC world, fans cannot be ejected and banned for expressing their opinions. While I do not condone hate speech, freedom of speech prevails.
Footy is all about passion and without passionate fans, where would the AFL be?
Fans are passionate by nature, and in the heat of the moment, they may express an untoward comment that they don’t really mean. But kicking them out of the ground and banning them from matches is going too far.
Some of these supporters are the same people who have supported the AFL for their whole lives and chosen to attach themselves to a club for a life-long commitment. Many are just as invested as players in their club and they feel hurt when their team suffers.
Does the AFL really want to eradicate passion from their game?
How far will this crackdown go?
Will 40,000 fans be evicted from the MCG in a preliminary final when they all boo an umpiring decision?
AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan and his team are custodians of the game and they must continue to breed passion for the game, not eliminate it.
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.
Controversy has erupted following Essendon's thrilling three-point victory over Adelaide, with an umpire under fire for his decision to not award the Crows a…
It was a horror last quarter at the Adelaide Oval for Josh Rachele, who also missed a chance to win the game for the…
Now that was a quick change of mind!
Over the next few days, all discussion of Essendon's three-point win over Adelaide will likely centre on the decision, in the final seconds of…
