Footy fans must pull their heads in after unruly crowd behaviour

September 21, 2026 — 1:45pm

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When the Victorian premier and the unofficial prime minister of New Zealand, Warriors great Shaun Johnson, are sticking the boot into sporting crowds over bad behaviour, it’s clear things have gone too far.

It was a grim weekend across the AFL and NRL as two thrilling games of football were marred by a handful ofangry spectators hurling projectiles at match officials.

Cans and bottles were thrown at umpires during Hawthorn’s defeat to Brisbane in Saturday night’s preliminary final, while referee Ashley Klein was targeted after a controversial finish to the Warriors-Knights semi-final at Eden Park.

Arguably the worst incident of the lot, however, was the Hawthorn fan at the MCG who allegedly threw a plate of nachos at a woman and her eight-year-old son, prompting Victoria Police to launch an investigation.

The AFL said the behaviour, across the board, had “crossed the line” and warned those responsible could be banned for a minimum of five years. The NRL was equally unimpressed.

“I was scared,” the boy told Nine News. “I don’t understand why anyone would do that.”

His mother, Rose, told 3AW: “It’s absolutely disgusting behaviour, and I am just sick of going out in........

© WA Today