Officials will tighten security at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) after a “disappointing” breach that allowed two men to bring guns into the stadium at an Australian Rules football match on Thursday. Police said they had found weapons on a 21-year-old man and a 27-year-old man after the pair refused to leave the MCG over their behaviour while in the crowd of 82,058 for the match between Collingwood and Carlton. The men were arrested and later charged with firearms possession and other offences.
Officials said the guns had been picked up by screening units when the men entered the stadium but security personnel had failed to do a thorough follow-up search. “As a result, we will be increasing the extensiveness of the secondary manual security process and patrons may experience slight delays as they attend upcoming events,” MCG CEO Stuart Fox said in a statement. “We will continue to work closely with Victoria Police, the AFL and our security provider in executing the MCG’s security procedures.
” AFL CEO Andrew Dillon called the incident “extremely disappointing.” “More than 1.2 million fans have attended the football so far this season and we will work closely with authorities to ensure the matches and venues continue to be a safe and welcoming place for all,” Dillon said in a statement.
Dillon added that the two men would be issued life bans from attending AFL matches. The two men have been identified as Omar Salman, 21, and Mohamad Noori, 27, by the Guardian. As per a report in The Nightly , Noori, who hails from Broadmeadows suburb in Melbourne, “had four arrest warrants and had 11 ongoing court matters.
” Both men were already out on bail at the time of their arrest and have now been denied bail, with their next court appearance scheduled for April 16. With agency inputs.
Sports
Massive security breach at MCG: Two men arrested for carrying loaded guns into Australian Football League match

In a major security scare at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), two men were allowed to carry guns into an Australian Rules football match on Thursday, despite the weapons being flagged by screening units. The AFL has stated that both men will receive lifetime bans.