Footy fans must pull their heads in after unruly crowd behaviour

When the Victorian premier and the unofficial prime minister of New Zealand, Warriors great Shaun Johnson, are sticking the boot into sporting crowds over bad behaviour, it’s clear things have gone too far.

It was a grim weekend across the AFL and NRL as two thrilling games of football were marred by a handful ofangry spectators hurling projectiles at match officials.

Cans and bottles were thrown at umpires during Hawthorn’s defeat to Brisbane in Saturday night’s preliminary final, while referee Ashley Klein was targeted after a controversial finish to the Warriors-Knights semi-final at Eden Park.

Arguably the worst incident of the lot, however, was the Hawthorn fan at the MCG who allegedly threw a plate of nachos at a woman and her eight-year-old son, prompting Victoria Police to launch an investigation.

The AFL said the behaviour, across the board, had “crossed the line” and warned those responsible could be banned for a minimum of five years. The NRL was equally unimpressed.

“I was scared,” the boy told Nine News. “I don’t understand why anyone would do that.”

His mother, Rose, told 3AW: “It’s absolutely disgusting behaviour, and I am just sick of going out in Melbourne and being worried for my safety.”

Hawthorn fans might have felt robbed by umpire Hayden Meyer’s decision to penalise Jarman Impey for holding the ball, which gifted Brisbane’s Hugh McCluggage the goal that put the Lions in front with seconds remaining.

Similarly, Warriors supporters may have felt that Klein had dudded them by not awarding a penalty over Tyson Frizell’s escort on Leka Halasima in the dying stages of their 12-10 loss to Newcastle at Eden Park.

Debate those calls, and boo if you must. Complain about them all the way home. Write about it in a longer-than-necessary Facebook post.

But nothing gives a fan the right to hurl a beer can or water bottle at an official simply doing their job. The lack of respect is astounding.

“I think these people should be made an example of,” said Victorian Premier Ben Carroll. “This could have had catastrophic injuries. If one of those bottles or cans hit an umpire on the head, who knows what could’ve happened.”

Sometimes they do land.

In 2005, Australia’s one-day cricketers found themselves on the receiving end of a particularly hostile New Zealand crowd in Wellington. Matthew Hayden was spat on, Simon Katich was hit by bottles near the boundary, and Glenn McGrath became furious with security staff over a perceived lack of protection.

Captain Ricky Ponting eventually called a halt to play to speak with the umpires and demand a greater police presence. This had come after an array of projectiles including golf balls, food scraps, a three-seater couch, a toilet seat and frozen fish had been thrown towards Australian cricketers over the years while playing in New Zealand.

That 2005 controversy made its way to the highest office in the land.

“It’s not peculiar to New Zealand, it’s not peculiar to Australia,” said then Australian prime minister John Howard. “When there’s bad behaviour, we shouldn’t get too self-righteous.”

More than two decades later, issues are still arising.

Angry fans might convince themselves the players they idolise appreciate them venting their frustration on their behalf. The reality is quite the opposite. It is cringeworthy, as Johnson made clear following the Warriors’ loss.

Perhaps some of the 48,511 Warriors fans who filled Eden Park could not comprehend seeing a Kiwi team lose to an Australian side, given the Wallabies haven’t beaten the All Blacks there since 1986.

“It leaves a bit of a sour taste in your mouth,” Johnson said on Sky Sports. “There’s just no need for it. It’s just embarrassing.”

It doesn’t help when the players set the tone. Seconds after the siren at the MCG, Hawthorn’s James Sicily and Tom Barrass were in the face of umpire Meyer, remonstrating over a decision almost everyone not wearing brown and gold agreed was correct.

Moments later, bottles were raining down from the stands.

There is a line between passion for your team and putting people’s safety at risk. The events of the weekend hardly compare with some of the ugliest scenes seen overseas – including the Celtic-Rangers soccer game in Scotland on Sunday, where a bus carrying fans caught fire amid suspected vandalism – but that is hardly the point.

The AFL and NRL, with the backing of police, need to come down hard on spectators who cross that line. Five-year bans are a start.

The AFL issued one such suspension earlier this year, to a Swans fan who threw a drink bottle at Hawthorn player Nick Watson at the MCG in March.

On Friday night at the SCG, there was none of that same anger at the culmination of the Swans’ agonising preliminary final defeat to Fremantle. Just pure disbelief that their side had managed a solitary point in the last quarter, as the Dockers came from 21 points down at three-quarter time to win by 12.

Fans are entitled to get angry, and they are entitled to think an umpire or referee got it horribly wrong. Feeling angry is where it should end.

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