A man in his 70s passed away at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) while attending Thursday night’s AFL match between Carlton and Richmond.
Medical Emergency in AFL Reserve
The incident occurred on the fourth level of the AFL Reserve as the final siren sounded around 10:15pm. Witnesses report the man, believed to be a Richmond Tigers supporter, had been cheering enthusiastically during the first half. Fellow fans immediately began CPR efforts to revive him, with stadium medical staff rushing to provide assistance.
Emergency services attended the scene on Brunton Avenue but were unable to save the man, who died at the location. The death is not considered suspicious.
Victoria Police confirmed: “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. He sadly died at the scene.”
Carlton Secures Narrow Victory
On the field, Carlton held off a late Richmond surge to claim a thrilling four-point win before a crowd of 74,313 spectators.
Blues coach Michael Voss highlighted the significance of the result: “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 praised his team’s second-half response despite the early deficit: “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 issued statements on the incident.
