Multiple Geelong players were left fearing for their own safety as thousands of spectators charged onto the SCG to celebrate Lance Franklin’s 1000th goal.
While there were no serious injuries to come out of the crowd stampede, veteran AFL reporter Damian Barrett revealed serious concerns from Geelong, who believe players were deliberately run into, including star forward Jeremy Cameron.
“I’ve spoken to several people from both clubs, there was genuine fear involved with some of the people involved,” Barrett told Nine’s AFL Sunday Footy Show.
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“What I can tell you is Jeremy Cameron was smashed in the fracas in the hoards of people that ran onto the ground.
“Both Tom Atkins and Jack Henry had moments where they were genuinely fearful about what was going to happen.
“There is at least six Geelong players who were very worried about what was going to happen with people running on and filming themselves, either with tripod-type arrangements on their mobile phones, or just holding the phones themselves. It was chaos.”
Vision from behind the goals showed Geelong defender Zach Tuohy being accidentally run into by a crazed fan who was charging towards Franklin. Where exactly the other collisions took place is unclear.
“It was genuinely extraordinary and dangerous. We had so many players deliberately run into, it wasn’t funny. Great for Bud, but Christ it was dangerous,” an unnamed Geelong player told the Sunday Footy Show.
“This is a momentous occasion that deserved to be well celebrated, but I’m sure the AFL will work on how we can make these moments as safe as possible for our players and fans in the future,” Geelong’s Head of Football, Simon Lloyd, said in a statement provided to the Sunday Footy Show.
According to Barrett, 38 security guards and 12 police officers had been deployed to the SCG to handle the crowd stampede, with nine security guards told to protect Franklin directly.
“A detailed security plan led by the venue, the SCG, was put in place in the event Lance kicked his 1000th goal,” Swans CEO Tom Harley said in a statement provided to the Sunday Footy Show.
“The security plan was drafted last year and revisited in the lead up to round one. The AFL, Lance’s management and both clubs were advised of, and approved the plan.
“The most important aspect was to ensure the safety of all the fans, players, umpires and officials. A key priority for the Swans was to ensure that everyone could safely enjoy a memorable moment. The Swans are not aware of any formal complaints.”
Barrett also noted that children could have been seriously injured in the crowd stampede.
“There were many young children falling over. What if someone fell over in that massive maul that Buddy Franklin was in? That person is not getting up,” he said.
“They (the AFL) but for the grace of God, have dodged a massive problem out of this. It is just a luck component to it not being very, very serious.”