Two NSW men have been charged with causing serious injury and police are targeting other rioting fans following the outbreak of two brawls on Saturday afternoon and evening between Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney soccer fans.
Assistant Commissioner Andrew Crisp said a 23-year-old NSW man was charged with conduct endangering serious injury, the discharging of a missile and with possessing cannabis in relation to a fight outside the Royal Melbourne Hotel on Bourke Street just after 3.30pm, which saw rowdy soccer fans set off flares, break chairs and glasses and throw sticks at each other.
The Assistant Commissioner said "furniture was damaged, glass broken and four people were injured".
Ambulance Victoria spokesman Ray Rowe said a man in his early 20s was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital with upper body injuries.
Soccer once again showed its uglier side later that evening, where rowdy fans set off at least five flares, flooding the stadium with thick, orange smoke. The Assistant Commissioner said that "at the same time, about four or five extremely loud fire crackers were also discharged ... something new we haven't seen here in Melbourne".
"It is disappointing when a few idiots engage in behaviour which actually puts a significant number of other people at risk," the Assistant Commissioner said.
He warned those responsible to turn themselves in, and for anyone with information to "do the right thing and dob them in".
Police charged a second man, 29, also from NSW, with conduct endangering injury after the game. Both men have been bailed to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates Court on April 14, and have been banned from attending any Football Federation Australia (FFA) games worldwide, including the re-match between the two teams on January 14.
The head of the A-League, Damien De Bohun, said the men would not be allowed into any A-League game for five years.
"And that's not just A-League, but any fixtures to do with the FFA.
"If they were planning a trip to the World Cup in Brazil, then that's over as well," he said.
Another man, believed to be in his late teens, was also injured during the second half of the game in Gosch's Paddock, near AAMI Park, the Assistant Commissioner said, and was treated by paramedics before being taken to hospital. He was later released.
Fans at the game took to Twitter to express concern after hearing at least five explosions at AAMI Stadium about 9.30pm. Kacey Lam tweeted a photo of the thick orange smoke, saying: "SIX LOUD BANGS. Anyone would think terrorists have overtaken AAMI".
Richard Hinds tweeted: "Heading down the cellar with a box of canned goods to avoid the huge riot. Tweet me when it's safe to come up," while Leonard Bailey wrote: "Fans brawl before and after the game. Soccer fail".
Another fan, Alex Loft, tweeted: "kids and parents were walking out scared".
Mr De Bohun said "it was interesting ... how many true football fans came out and condemned the behaviour".
"So the real fans know they are there for the right reasons, and those who want to misbehave will find that we will remove them."
Despite the brawls, both Mr De Bohun and Assistant Commissioner Crisp said that out of the 22,000 fans who attended last night's game– about 1,400 from Sydney – only a few misbehaved.
"For most of the people who attended, it was a fantastic game," the Assistant Commissioner said.
Mr De Bohun said that "there's only been a total of 14 evictions across Melbourne A-League matches this year, and there were eight last night".
"The number of incidents have actually reduced dramatically since last year," he said.
"The message is definitely getting through, and people are seeing that we are serious about this: we won't rest until every single individual who misbehaves is removed," Mr De Bohun said.