When the eight competing teams in the 2019 AFL finals series take to the field for their season-deciding matches this month, there will be a ninth team that will never get to play in front of adoring fans. Instead, the Victoria Police team tasked with maintaining law and order on match days will use all their training and what they’ve learned from the 23-round regular season to ensure the safety of tens of thousands of supporters. It’s no easy feat. Finals see Melbourne’s two AFL venues, the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and Marvel Stadium, transformed into “their own independent cities”, populated by up to 100,000 inhabitants, mostly divided into two fiercely rival tribes. Two of the key players in this epic crowd control task are Inspector Jamie Templeton and Senior Sergeant Henry Van Andel. Their pre-game preparation, game day execution and postmatch review are not dissimilar to that of an AFL team. Here’s how they help Victoria Police get a winning result on a game day.
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POLICE LIFE | SPRING 2019
