The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) says artificial intelligence security screening gates it installed in 2024 were not to blame for two men allegedly carrying guns into an AFL match with more than 80,000 fans on Thursday night.

A 21-year-old man and a 27-year-old man were charged after they were each allegedly found to be in possession of a firearm during the Round 4 match between Collingwood and Carlton, police said.

The two men were searched by officers following reports they had refused to leave the venue following bad behaviour, authorities said.

MCG chief executive Stuart Fox said the “extremely disappointing and upsetting” incident was not the result of any issues with the venue’s AI-based security screening gates, made by US company Evolv Technology.

“Our security screening units identified items of concern and further investigation was required, our initial internal investigation identified a breakdown in the thoroughness of the secondary and manual screening process,” Fox said in a statement on Friday.

“As a result, we will be increasing the extensiveness of the secondary manual security process and patrons may experience slight delays as they attend upcoming events.”

Incident highlights need for ‘new technologies’

AFL CEO Andrew Dillon said security at the venue "failed to do a thorough follow-up search of the patrons after an alert from the entry point screening system".

Extra security would be in place at upcoming MCG matches and the incident would be reviewed, he said.

The failure of manual security checks highlighted why the MCG needed to “explore and invest in new technologies to assist us in keeping the community safe”, Fox added.


Two men were each allegedly found to be in possession of a firearm during the Round 4 match between Collingwood and Carlton on Thursday. Photo: AFL / Facebook

The two men charged over the incident appeared in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday and were remanded in custody.

Both were charged with firearms offences, with one weapon allegedly found to be loaded and with an altered serial number.

Counter terrorism police had “assessed the incident” but would no longer be involved in the investigation, Victoria Police said.

More venues employing AI security tech

Evolv Technology did not respond to a request for comment regarding the MCG incident.

The US company’s 2024 partnership with the venue marked its first deployment of its products in Australia.

The MCG uses the Evolv Express detection system across its entry gates, which is designed to detect concealed weapons.

The system “uses a powerful fusion of advanced sensor technology and AI to detect concealed threats—while allowing people to move through checkpoints at their natural walking pace”, according to Evolv’s website.

The dual-lane version of the system can screen up to 4,000 people per hour, and downloads updated algorithms to improve its performance, according to the company.

Sporting and entertainment venues across Australia have increased their use of AI technologies for tasks such as security screening and facial recognition, raising concerns over privacy and data collection.

The Australian Open tennis tournament faced criticism in January after it rolled out facial recognition technology in its security cameras — the details of which were quietly added to its new conditions of entry for all attendees.

The event also introduced an opt-in facial recognition system developed by US company Wicket, which allowed ticketholders to enter the event if their facial scan matched that of a selfie they had uploaded to their Ticketmaster account.

Hardware retailer Bunnings was last year found to have “breached Australians’ privacy” through its use of facial recognition, following an investigation by the country’s privacy commissioner.