MCG breach: Spectator takes knife into the footy

A man has made it into the MCG with a knife, exposing a major flaw in stadium security.

3AW Drive has been told a spectator accidentally took his 7cm blade, pictured above, with him through security at the Richmond vs Hawthorn game yesterday.

The man, Graham, said he was scanned but the knife was not picked up by detectors.

“I lifted my arms up as everybody does and they ‘wanded’ me back and front and I didn’t think another thing of it because I had completely forgotten that I didn’t remove it,” Graham told 3AW Drive.

“I just think they either had them turned off or turned down to a low range.”

Graham said he had worn a knife for many years and used it for his business.

He said it was not until the second quarter that he realised he had forgotten to take the knife off his belt before entering the ground.

STATEMENT FROM THE MCC

Providing a safe and secure environment for all patrons remains the top most priority of the MCC, however balancing this with the speed and customer service demands of MCG events is an ongoing challenge.

We have a number of processes and measures in place beyond the customer-facing wanding and bag checks. While we don’t discuss detailed arrangements publicly, we are in regular discussions with our stakeholders about security measures at the MCG, which are the most stringent of all stadiums in Australia.

Without knowing further details it is difficult to determine exactly why this item was not picked up by our entry processes, and we would be keen to speak with the patron to learn more about the circumstances.