Jeff Kennett says it appears security officers patrolling AFL crowds ‘weren’t born here’

Jeff Kennett suspects AFL security officers “weren’t born here” and “don’t know our game”.

AFL Behavioural Awareness Officers on patrol. Source: Twitter

Former Victorian premier Jeff Kennett is standing by comments he made this morning suggesting “behaviour awareness” officers patrolling AFL crowds are ill-equipped because they appear to be “new arrivals”.

Mr Kennett told The Australian he does not withdraw “anything I’ve said, whatsoever” and suspects most of the security staff “weren’t born here” and “don’t know the game”.

The Hawthorn President’s comments come after Marvel Stadium chief executive Michael Green conceded over the weekend that there was an overbearing security presence at games on Friday and Saturday.

Some members of the security staff, who wore bibs identifying them as “behavioural awareness” officers, patrolled the aisles and appeared to issue several verbal warnings to fans who were deemed to be barracking in an inappropriate fashion.

Earlier today, Mr Kennett highlighted the ethnic background of the staff during a 3AW interview.

“I’m not being racist when I say this, but when I saw some of the footage, the people who are making judgments while they wear these authoritative coats, are not people who appear to have a great knowledge of our game,” he told host Neil Mitchell.

“And yet they make judgments about what’s correct and not correct.”

Hawthorn Football Club President Jeff Kennett.

Asked by Mitchell what he meant, Mr Kennett said: “Well, they’re new arrivals to Australia, it appears.”

Mitchell replied: “We don’t know that.”

“We don’t know that and they could be born here,” Mr Kennett said.

“All I’m saying, is the sporting arena is where people relax, where they support their tribe, and what is happening now is unacceptable.”

After the interview, Mitchell said: “I don’t think ethnicity has anything to do with this at all.”

Asked by The Australian whether he stood by his comments, Mr Kennett was unapologetic, saying he hoped Marvel Stadium’s decision to introduce behaviour awareness officers to control crowds at AFL matches “gets knocked on the head very quickly”.

“The footage I saw was of people who — I don’t know whether they were Australian-born or whether they weren’t, but I suspect they weren’t,” he said.

“How is anyone going to judge anyone else’s behaviour, let alone people who were probably weren’t born here, don’t know the code, probably don’t play it?

“Do they support a football team? How could they possibly have any understanding of our sport? Some of them have come from countries where they play soccer, and some from countries where no sport is played?

“Are we going to just employ security guards or people monitors without any experience at all to come along and sit in judgment of people who have been going to football matches all their lives?”

Mr Kennett said his biggest worry came from a place of self-interest.

“I’m worried I’m going to get thrown out of a match,” he said. “I get very excited watching the Hawks. I love it.

“I don’t withdraw anything I’ve said whatsoever. I don’t make any apology for what I’ve said, because 99 per cent of the public would agree with what I’m saying.

“How can you have monitors there who are not people who understand the game?”

Mr Kennett said police were already present at football matches to manage those whose behaviour posed a genuine risk to the public.

“If people are going to come into arenas wearing ‘behaviour awareness vests’ and have a go at people because they are standing up, sitting down, lying down, booing, supporting their team, whatever, it’s not Australian. It will change the reasons we go to football and the reasons we support our team.”

A security guard approaches Carlton fans at Marvel Stadium.

‘Fans won’t be silenced’

Mr Kennett yesterday warned AFL bosses were “playing with fire” with “sanctioned censorship” of fans.

The Hawthorn president warned AFL bosses their sanctione­d censorship of fans could ­ignite a dangerous backlash after security staff were accused of ­intimidation at matches in Melbourne­ on the weekend.

“If the AFL is going to be the ­adjudicators of how people are participating in the game … or there is an ‘expression force’ that is coming in to tell people what they can say, they are playing with fire,” the former Victorian premier told The Australian.

“The more the AFL tells the public whether they can boo or not, the more likely they are to go the other way. We have been doing it for 150 years, for goodness sake.”

The weekend’s activities proved a flashpoint in a season where there have been claims of cheer squads being silenced and undercover operatives being deploye­d to monitor behaviour, with fans clearly agitated by the manner they are being treated.

Victorian Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien yesterday decried­ a “nanny state” mentality ­encroaching on the code.

“You know what? It’s not the opera. It’s not the ballet. People are allowed to cheer. People are ­allowed to shout. People are ­allowed to even boo occasionally,” he said.

“I just hope that the AFL gets the balance right and they don’t get too heavy-handed on this, ­because you don’t want to see the spark, the joy that a footy match provides, being taken away.”

Hawthorn legend Dermott Brereton described the use of the “Behavioural Awareness” officers as “the most ridiculous principle the AFL has instituted in years’’.

“It really angered me to see that,’’ he said. “How ridiculous to infringe on people’s basic human rights to go along and enjoy their lifestyle, the way they have for over 100 years.’’

AFL Fans Association president Gerry Eeman said a balance needed to be struck between cracking down on the small ­minority of fans who cause issues and the vast majority of people who behave.

“Some fans are telling us that they feel they can’t express themselves at games in the same way they did in the past,” he said.

“There is nothing wrong with barracking loudly for your team and there is nothing wrong with being passionate.”

Marvel Stadium’s own records from the weekend suggest a ­security overkill.

Mr Green said just four fans had been evicted from the more than 80,000 supporters who ­attended Essendon’s defeat of Hawthorn on Friday night and the Bulldogs’ thrilling win over Carlton on Saturday night.

Just eight text messages alerting security personnel to possible anti-social behaviour were received­ on the hotline.

The Marvel Stadium boss said the priority remained the safety of fans, following a spate of violent brawls at the ground over the past two years.

But he conceded a “proactive approach” by security staff, which has included them cautioning fans for swearing and suggesting they temper their noise levels, had raised angst.

“We’ve consciously increased the amount of aisle patrolling we’ve been doing over the last couple­ of weeks,” Mr Green said.

“Clearly we haven’t yet found the balance between providing a safe environment and not wanting people to feel intimidated.”

Mr Green said Marvel Stadium had not received an edict from the league before introducing the heightened security methods ­employed on the weekend.

AFL chief executive Gillon ­McLachlan was adamant on ­Friday that no directive to crack down on fan behaviour had been issued by the league.

Mr Kennett said there was no place in football for any racist or homophobic commentary but he expressed concerned by reports that security staff were monitoring and policing the speech and ­behaviour of fans.

He said fans had been coming to the football for more than a century­ to release the “pressure-cooker valve” that comes with work and life stresses.

And Mr Kennett placed the responsibil­ity firmly on the AFL, given its ownership of the stadium.

“The AFL has tried to be the ­social umpire on every issue and that is wrong,” he said.

“That is not why the AFL was set up. They were set up to administer the code of football. One of the great strengths has been that you can participate as a fan, wave your arms and scream … as much as you like and people invariably leave in good spirits.

“This is a very orderly competition. If the AFL are now going to say, ‘This is how you are going to behave’, you are going to end up with arenas of turnips where people are sitting there mute.”

Victorian Premier Daniel ­Andrews said he was confident the AFL, police and security would strike the right balance.