A cricket enthusiast has been forcibly removed from the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) after staging a one-man rebellion against what he labels the 'fun police' for outlawing the rapid drinking of beer, known as skolling, at matches.
The Protest Against the Skolling Ban
Jon Redman has taken it upon himself to revive the tradition, a practice famously associated with generations of Australian cricket supporters and even a former prime minister. In a video posted ahead of this year's Boxing Day Test, Redman declared his mission. He argued that banning the swift downing of beers strikes at the heart of Australian culture, referencing the late Bob Hawke, who was renowned for skolling a beer in front of crowds at the cricket.
'Australia is in trouble,' Redman stated. 'It's not because of the financial housing crisis, it's not because of inflation - they've banned skolling beers at the cricket.' He lamented that actions once celebrated now lead to instant ejection. 'If you do that nowadays, you get kicked out quicker than you can click your fingers ... what has our country come to?'
The Ejection and Public Reaction
Redman then posted footage showing him skolling four beers from a tray near the fence at the MCG, saluting a cheering crowd. The clip, captioned 'Getting arrested for my country', concludes with him being escorted out by police officers, one of whom appears to be issuing an infringement notice. His campaign, promoted with the hashtag #Bringbackthescull, has resonated with many Australians on social media.
Comments ranged from calling Australia a 'sanitised loser country' to criticising the 'FUN POLICE' for dispersing crowds having too much fun. This incident is not isolated. Similar controversies made headlines in 2021 during Ashes Tests at the Adelaide Oval and MCG, where fans were led out by security for drinking too quickly or constructing 'beer snakes' from empty cups.
Legal Backing and Historical Context
Victoria Police can evict spectators under section 84 of the Major Sporting Events Act, which allows for the removal of anyone believed to be disrupting the event or other attendees. This legal framework has been used against those skolling beers or building beer snakes, as seen again at the MCG in 2022 and during the first Ashes Test in Perth this series.
The tradition, however, has deep roots. Former Prime Minister Bob Hawke, who once held a world record for skolling a yard glass, performed the feat for crowds at the SCG in 2012 and again in 2017. Redman's protest taps into this nostalgia, framing the ban as a loss of a cherished, if rowdy, part of the spectator experience. The debate continues over where to draw the line between maintaining order and preserving iconic sporting rituals.
