Roast Pathetic-Game over

[Southerntakeover]

I heard the head of Marvel Stadium on Macquarie radio today. He states the AFL has categorically NOT given a directive to crack down on anti social behaviour. He said there have been increased numbers of security personnel since the beginning of the season (apparently there were brawls early on). He said they get approx. 8-12 reports of anti social behaviour every match with 2-4 ejections out of 35,000 people. He said security guards give people a warning if they are swearing and if they continue, they get ejected. He said they have put an emphasis in the last couple of weeks of having security guards show their presence in order for people to feel safe. He’s been made aware that some are feeling this is intimidating and that they need to find a balance between people feeling safe and feeling like they can’t barrack. It was a decent conversation and I think we may see it not as pervasive in coming weeks. Here’s hoping!

I do think that some of this is that they get the wrong people, and take the wrong approach, when it comes to security. Football security tends to operate like bouncers in a nightclub. They're behave as if they're there to intimidate, and you don't argue lest you get thrown out and a sore head to match. Some of this is understandable- if there's a real pile on you'd want people capable of sorting it out, but often it means that they're not the best people to de-escalate situations that can be resolved that way- and it seems that security itself sometimes and approaches things with a mindset of enforcing their authority. That's not all of them- there are some experienced guards who do a pretty good job around the hill, and I've got a bit of time for them, but there are some problems.

As an example- I'll often sit / stand with my mates and have a quiet beer after the game waiting for the crowd to thin. We don't bother anyone, we just lurk around the back of the bar and talk amongst ourselves about the game. Generally when that occurs we're allowed a little time, and if we linger to the point that the stadium's closing up we get given the nod and we move on. Doing that on Thursday, and the Security guard who approaches us begins yelling from about a metre way about it being "TIME TO GO, EXIT THE STADIUM" complete with airline stewardess-esque dramatic gestures at the exists. It just struck me about how needless this was, how unnecessarily rude when a softly spoken and polite 'sorry guys, we're closing up got to get you to leave' would have done the trick, and how very odd it is to treat customers who have done nothing wrong and who you want to repeat their attendance this way.

 

[Southerntakeover]

We don’t really though. It’s rammed down our throats by a few highly motivated minority campaigners/lobbyists.
Most people don’t really care that much, then all of a sudden. The gestapo are chucking someone out of a footy game for the barbaric crime of calling a bald flog, “a bald flog”.

Who's ramming what down your throat?

These suggestions of an ubiquitous and omnipotent left in the shadows controlling everything makes good copy with right wing nutters, but it doesnt really hold water. You don't have an imaginary and shadowy enemy attacking you- the persons responsible for what is occurring are right in front of you- the corporate AFL administration.

 

[ChilliP]

If your solution to an increase in bank robberies is to multiply the number of police officers, then you may reduce the number of bank robberies, but you will also increase the number of traffic fines that are handed out just due to having more officers out an about. This is exactly what has happened at the AFL.
They increased security because of the violence that was happening at games and the public wanted it, now they have more eyes walking up and down the isles, more small things are getting noticed.

 

[mistylake]

Yeah hardly the gestapo. An over enthusiastic approach to security. Talk to someone who suffered at the hands of the gestapo and see if it’s the same

Lol.

 

[mistylake]

Who's ramming what down your throat?

These suggestions of an ubiquitous and omnipotent left in the shadows controlling everything makes good copy with right wing nutters, but it doesnt really hold water. You don't have an imaginary and shadowy enemy attacking you- the persons responsible for what is occurring are right in front of you- the corporate AFL administration.

I’m probably talking wider society in general. Bit by bit campaign by campaign the thought police are turning a grey world greyer.
S. Jennings “Black Ribbons”
It’s a death by 1000 cuts.

 

[Bicks]

 

[Smoooothy]

the AFL is really having an awful year this year. they've botched the rules, they're stuffing up the game day experience. waiting for them to announce it'll be a twilight GF, and then for them to forget to turn the lights on

 

[Tex200]

the AFL is really having an awful year this year. they've botched the rules, they're stuffing up the game day experience. waiting for them to announce it'll be a twilight GF, and then for them to forget to turn the lights on

It’s the problem with an organisation that’s become an activist rather than an administrator of the game.

 

[Southerntakeover]

What did the rule changes have to do with activism?

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

the AFL is really having an awful year this year. they've botched the rules, they're stuffing up the game day experience. waiting for them to announce it'll be a twilight GF, and then for them to forget to turn the lights on

It's all set up for the grand final to be decided by a score review glitch

 

[Southerntakeover]

Which presumably will be some sort of leftist conspiracy to rob our more conservative posters of their right to a winner, thereby oppressing them?

 

[Tex200]

What did the rule changes have to do with activism?

I didn’t mean activism it a political context, more the literal interpretation i.e. they are always fiddling with the game, changing rules, the security issue etc etc.

Rather than just quietly administer the game.

 

[Southerntakeover]

Ok fair, in which case play on

 

[Smoooothy]

It's all set up for the grand final to be decided by a score review glitch

perfect

 

[BRL121]

It's all set up for the grand final to be decided by a score review glitch

Yeah. There was one example over the weekend, where a goal was kicked from distance and there was a bunker review for touched on the kick as they went back to the centre. I, and the commentators, could see nothing to indicate a touch: in fact it looked like it went between the "spoiler's" two hands. yet, the goal was overturned on this pathetically unclear evidence. I thought the idea was only to eliminate clanger decisions. Anyway, distant cameras are unsuited to make touched-ball decisions in the middle of the ground, except for obvious bent-finger cases.

 

[Bicks]

Haha, I think you ballsed that up too Gillon

 

[jenny61_99]

It’s good to see people - AND commentators - questioning the AFL.

 

[Don Muraco]

Potential change of attitude from the AFL? Dollar , dollar ,dollar is very powerful. Lets see if it lasts.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

The AFL are trying to backpedal but in the words of Mike Ermantraut, that's a bell you can't unring.

 

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

 

[dogs105]

When did he stop running the Australian open? They've had cameras and facial recognition software to stop courtsiders involved in betting for 10 years or so