Collingwood president Eddie McGuire has blamed drugs for increasing fan violence at the football.
Ugly incidents in the stands last season plagued the AFL, prompting the introduction of โbehavioural awareness officersโ at Marvel Stadium.
Speaking at Collingwoodโs annual members forum last Friday night, McGuire told a concerned supporter that some troublemaking fans were taking the drug ice.
"The big issue in football at the moment โ and the community โ is that people get on ice at the footy,โ McGuire told the crowd.
"Thereโs not much I can do about that, except to say weโre aware of it.
"Thereโs that, thereโs the alcohol, thereโs the whole business.
"We have asked for extra security in places and what we find is that because the MCG is a big ground, people tend to get a ticket โ and this is not an excuse, itโs a reason โ and move around and stand where they want to form their own grog squad, drug squad, idiot squad, whatever the case may be.
"We share your pain and what youโve seen. We must look after our supporters.
"We canโt get to the stage where men and women of good faith arenโt prepared to bring either their grandparents or kids to the footy and we have to get on top of it."
McGuire also said the Pies had met with the Melbourne Cricket Club and Victoria Police in a bid to reduce the number of assaults at games.
Collingwood chief executive Mark Anderson confirmed that the memberships of some misbehaving Magpies supporters had been suspended as the club took a hard-line approach to violence in the outer.
"Weโre on top of this," McGuire said.
"We have spoken to the MCC. They have changed the way theyโre going about it.
"We collectively went to them and said โyouโve got your security wrong, thereโs a lot of kids and older people (as staff) who are doing a good service, checking tickets and telling you where to sit, but when it all starts to go, itโs really hard for them because theyโre not trained in that situationโ.
"We saw last season there was too much bad crowd behaviour. The thing we hold dearest to our hearts in the AFL community is that you go to the football, 100,000 people, Collingwood-Richmond, two great tribes going at each other.
"At worst, at the end of the day, you have to buy your mate a Tattslotto ticket. Thatโs the way itโs got to be.โ
Victoria Police Commander Tim Hansen said in May that police data showed an increase in incidents involving intoxication and a rise in the prevalence of drugs such as methamphetamine and cocaine.
But despite this, league boss Gillon McLachlan denied crowd violence was at an all-time high, pointing to a lower eviction rate than previous years.
"We must keep our game safe and family friendly. We have been the family game, the passionate game,โ McLachlan said in June.
"We have to listen to our supporters. That is our responsibility."
