Fight at MCG during Collingwood vs Carlton match

Off-field violence has flared again at yesterday’s Collingwood win over Carlton, with witnesses saying they’d never seen anything like it as punches were thrown in the final quarter.

Violent fan fights broke out at the MCG just moments before the final siren in yesterday’s Collingwood win over Carlton.

One witness said they saw the violence break out in the top tier of the Southern Stand midway through the final quarter as on field tension spilt into the crowd.

“Two burly fellows started landing some serious punches,” one spectator told the Sunday Herald Sun.

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“Fans sitting nearby including mates of the two men were drawn into the fight - most of them trying to break it up - and it threatened to get right out of control when they spilt across a bank of seats,” he said.

It comes after several violent fights during AFL games this season, including last weekend when a disabled Hawthorn fan was allegedly taunted, set upon and punched in the head at the MCG during the Melbourne versus Hawthorn match.

The spectator said that Carlton had just hit the front yesterday and the on-field action was tense.

“Fortunately it didn’t escalate because there were enough people trying to break things up,” he said.

“The two blokes in the middle of it all tumbled down the concrete steps towards the concourse still swinging and that took the wind out of them.

“It got them away from the rest of the crowd who were intent on the football.

“I’m not sure where security were, but I felt for the MCG attendant on that bay because he looked about 70 years old and all he could do was stand helplessly by as these blokes traded blows.”

The fight broke out in the final quarter. Picture: Channel 7

Some other members tried to break it up. Picture: Channel 7

One woman aged in her 50s told 3AW that she and other members of the public had to stop the fights themselves.

“We were in M12 which is all Carlton supporters, but Collingwood supporters can sit there,” she said.

“There were four punch-on fights where people were knocked out.

“I haven’t seen something so physical and so violent for many, many years.”

Lots of callers flooding 3AW with reports of another MCG crowd fight. MCG has ramped up security, felt like it was making progress after too many crowd issues at AFL grounds last year. Another setback

— Jon Ralph (@RalphyHeraldSun) May 11, 2019

Collingwood supporter Harry Vincent said there were so many people involved in the fight he could see it across the ground.

“I saw groups of yellow guards on the opposite side if the ground, it looked like a lot of people were involved,” he said.

One man was treated for minor injuries. Victoria Police have interviewed and released one person, pending further investigation.

No further complaints have been made to police at this stage.