"We haven't changed our process in the last few weeks but clearly now it's become an issue, people are starting to feel intimidated by that and certainly that's not the experience we want for our fans," he told radio station 3AW. Mr Green also clarified security guards were proactively pulling fans aside for foul language but said the first step would be to give a warning. "We're not throwing people out immediately, we're asking them to temper their language and certainly give them another chance." However, Gerry Eeman, president of the AFL Fans Association, said trying to remove swearing from the stands was unrealistic. "If we're realistic there's a lot of swearing at the football ... they might need to employ an army of security because I don't think that having no swearing at the football will ever happen."

Several fans had approached the AFLFA to say they had been disciplined for behaviour that did not draw attention in the past, he said, characterising the new measures as an "over-correction". “Some fans are telling us that they feel they can't express themselves at games in the same way they did in the past," Mr Eeman said. The presence of behavioural awareness officers was "a little bit Big Brother", he said, and noted AFL fans rarely responded well to being told how to behave.

"Often when you start telling fans how to behave in a way they deem to be condescending you're going to get a backlash and that backlash is going to be fans behaving in exactly the way you've told them not to," Mr Eeman said. "You want the footy to be raucous, you want the footy to be loud, you want to lose yourself at the footy. You don't want to feel watched. "So security need to be really mindful of what it is they're cracking down on. Intimidating, violent behaviour and clear abuse are clearly non-negotiables but let fans barrack loudly and passionately." Mr Eeman welcomed Mr Green's announcement of a review into security measures, commending the stadium for "[taking] ownership that there's been an over-correction that needs to be addressed". The debate around policing of fan behaviour came after footy supporters clashed in the stands at the final siren of Saturday's match between Carlton and the Bulldogs.

Police waded in to break up the scuffle at Marvel Stadium involving a group of people, which came amid fans outrage over behavioural awareness officers patrolling the crowd. A video of the fight shows a group of men and a woman trying to restrain one supporter who is eventually led away by police. At one point, a liquid is poured onto the scuffle from above. Michael, who saw the fight, said he understood it broke out when tensions boiled over between two supporters of opposing teams.

"It wasn't a big fight," he said. "It wasn't a brawl and police and security extinguished it quickly. "They were there nearly as soon as it started because they were in the area. In this instance they did a good job." However, more broadly he thought the increased security and appearance of "behavioural awareness officers was overkill. "I personally think it is over the top ... Sometimes the people making these decisions don't understand pack mentality. People will be even worse and stop going if you harass them with security." Police confirmed they responded to several people "pushing each other" around the stadium's aisle 12 – near the members' reserves – about 10.10pm. They separated them and took down their details.

Police said they were not aware of any injuries. "The incident is still being investigated and police are yet to identify all involved," they said. The thriller match between the Western Bulldogs and Carlton swung like a pendulum, with the game only decided when the umpire paid the Bulldogs a free kick in the dying seconds. Hawthorn star wingman Isaac Smith said there was a "fine line" between stamping out bad fan behaviour and over-monitoring. "Certainly as the players we don't want the atmosphere out of the game because that's the thing, when you run out in front of a big crowd you want it to be loud," he said on Seven News on Sunday morning.

"Because someone says something that someone takes offence to, that doesn't make it wrong either. "There's gotta be a little bit of fun and jest and stuff like that." The comments come amid controversy over security tactics at matches, with fans expressing outrage over the appearance of "behavioural awareness officers" patrolling the crowd at Friday and Saturday's matches. Match attendees took to Twitter to voice their complaints over the officers, but Marvel Stadium says they have been in place all year. On Friday, Essendon Football Club recruiting consultant and former AFL coach Robert Shaw tweeted a photo of the officers with: "40 years in the game and played, coached and spectated at some inhospitable (wonderful) rival grounds. This is a first for me. Have we really got to this? So sad if we have."

Fans responded that it was "embarrassing" and "political correctness gone into new levels not seen". The officers' vests feature a phone number to "report antisocial behaviour". Hawthorn supporter Vic Ghiller told The Age the officers were at Marvel Stadium Friday night. "They were actually patrolling the Hawthorn cheer squad and telling supporters to calm down," he said. "As a long-term follower of AFL, I am losing interest in AFL and seriously thinking of only attending VFL as it's more user friendly."