A Richmond Tigers supporter in his 70s suffered a fatal medical emergency at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) during Thursday night’s AFL clash against Carlton.
The Incident
The tragedy unfolded on the fourth level of the AFL Reserve as the final siren sounded around 10:15pm. Fellow fans immediately sprang into action, attempting to revive the man while stadium medical staff rushed to the scene. Despite their efforts, emergency services could not save him, and he passed away at the location.
Victoria Police confirmed the details in a statement: “Police will prepare a report for the Coroner following the death of a man in Richmond on Thursday, 12 March. Emergency services tried to revive the man at a sports ground on Brunton Avenue about 10:15pm.” Authorities stated the death is not treated as suspicious.
A nearby witness described the supporter as enthusiastically cheering during the first half before the incident occurred.
Match Outcome
On the field, Carlton secured a narrow four-point victory over a late-charging Richmond in front of 74,313 spectators. Blues coach Michael Voss expressed satisfaction with the hard-fought win: “It doesn’t matter where you are on the ladder… the reality is, these games are always hard-fought. The competition isn’t settled yet, so these sorts of wins are really important.”
Richmond coach Adam Yze reflected on his team’s performance: “We weren’t up to standard early on and our players know that. We just obviously gave them too much of a start. As a coach, at halftime when you’re that far behind, all you can ask for is a response. I’m really proud of the boys’ effort to provide that… we gave ourselves a chance to win the game.”
The AFL and Richmond Tigers have not yet issued official comments on the supporter’s passing.
