For most sports fans, the roar of the crowd is something they love when they go to the football.

Key points: St Kilda has set up a sensory room for fans with special needs at its home ground

St Kilda has set up a sensory room for fans with special needs at its home ground The room provides a safe and quiet environment for those with conditions such as autism to enjoy the game

The room provides a safe and quiet environment for those with conditions such as autism to enjoy the game The AFL is considering having sensory rooms set up at each club's home venue

But for those who are living with a condition such as autism, simply watching their AFL team run out on game day can quickly become overwhelming.

That is why the St Kilda Football Club's decision to trial a special calming room for fans with special needs has been so well received.

For Saints supporters Karen and her granddaughter Kailea, who has autism, it has given them the ability to attend a game at Melbourne's Docklands Stadium and watch their team play.

"This is an incredible room for our family," said Karen, who was at the ground to see St Kilda's win over Hawthorn earlier this season.

"This room has allowed us, as a family, to come here and not have Kailea have a tantrum or a meltdown once the noise starts to get too much."

Saints fans watch the game on the big screen — with no sound — inside the sensory room. ( Supplied: St Kilda FC )

The Saints' sensory room provides fans and their families with the opportunity to sit in a quiet, dimly lit space and follow the match on a big screen — with no sound.

St Kilda-coloured, noise-reducing headphones are available in a large black, white and red coloured box near the big screen. There are lounges, building blocks and putty.

"It's quiet and there are bean bags, and there is also colouring which I love to do," Kailea said.

Like St Kilda, Hawthorn and Geelong have also set up sensory rooms at their home grounds.

And based on their experiences, the AFL is considering a plan to make it mandatory for all clubs to have a sensory room at their home grounds within the next few seasons.

"The AFL recognises the importance of calming rooms at AFL games and is planning to include a state-of-the-art calming room as part of the [Docklands] Stadium upgrade," an AFL spokesperson told the ABC.

"We will continue to work with all stakeholders to develop our strategy in other venues."

The development is welcome news for families like Karen's, allowing special needs children to enjoy a game in a "fun and safe" environment.

"Every stadium should have a room like this — you don't know what it means to families like us to be able to have a normal day out," Karen said.

Sensing a need

General manager of community at St Kilda, Lisa Laing, said the idea of installing a calming room in Docklands emerged after consultation with a number of specialist groups and the AFL.

The AFL gave up the space normally reserved for lucrative corporate functions.

The ubiquitous roar of the crowd does not sit well with all football fans. ( AAP: Daniel Pockett )

"They came right on board with that," Ms Laing said.

The Saints first trialled the quiet room initiative at their offices in Seaford, south of Melbourne, before they built a pop-up room inside the team's home venue at Docklands.

Accessible for families to use on game day, the room is staffed and children must be accompanied by an adult in order to gain access to the specialised facility.

The club worked with several partners — including community organisation Amaze — to refine the best approach to help fans with special needs relax.

Amaze chief executive Fiona Sharkie said creating an inexpensive way for people with special needs, and their families, to enjoy sport on game day was an important obligation for modern day clubs.

"One of the great things about the room is that it's inside the stadium," she said.

"It's where the action is and families can come and go as they please."

A club loyal to its supporters

St Kilda prides itself on being a community-minded club that has always been mindful of its diverse fan base.

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Founded in the bayside suburbs of Melbourne in 1873, St Kilda has only won one premiership (1966), and the hardships of its on-field pursuits over the years have been well documented.

A drawn grand final against Collingwood in 2010 was a heart-breaking moment for many supporters, with the Magpies going on to claim the replay by 56 points a week later.

St Kilda's club motto, emblazoned under its crest, is Fortius Quo Fidelius, which translates to Strength Through Loyalty.

"We are all about belonging and having as much people feel welcomed at our games and our club as we can," Ms Laing said.

"I just think it's just part of who we are."

St Kilda has successfully launched a number of other programs, including SaintsPlay, which encourages children with developmental challenges to play AFL.

It was this initiative that helped create awareness of the need to introduce a game day sensory room.

"We learnt from that program about the children and that some need an opportunity to have a timeout if things become overwhelming," Ms Laing said.

"The feedback from fans and members have been unbelievably positive, and they are so proud that the club has introduced this.

"It just makes me proud when I see the joy on these kids' faces."