Tony Jones questions difference in crowd incident reports

Tony Jones has questioned the imbalance of reporting unruly fans from one sport to another.

90 fans were ejected from the cricket at the MCG on Boxing Day, with a similar number kicked out on Day 2.

Tony said the response to cricket larrikins seems to be one of ‘boys will be boys.’

‘If that was an A-League soccer match, it’d be lead item on every news that night,’ he said.

Click play to hear Tony’s editorial in full

But Acting Superintendent Peter Ward of Victoria Police said the figures had to be put in context.

‘The event goes for around eight hours. It’s not a short, sharp sporting event,’ Mr Ward said. 

Mr Ward said police are targeting much more than just drunken behaviour.

‘A lot of it is risk mitigation,’ he said.

‘It’s getting in before the behaviour gets to a point where people are going to be injured.’

But in playing down the significance of these ejections, Mr Ward might have proven Tony’s point.

Click play to hear from Inspector Peter Ward