Sports venues move on security concerns
Transparent stadium bags are being introduced into sporting venues around Australia in a bid to ease public safety fears, including terrorism concerns.
The shift is in line with moves adopted by the key American sports.
If those policies are adopted by sporting bodies here such as the NRL and AFL, it could means fans will only be permitted to bring smaller see-through bags to their favourite sporting games.
The NFL significantly beefed up its stadium bag policy in response to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
The SCG Trust has started selling the bags in its stadium store and Sydney Olympic Park venues could follow.
The bags, which retail for around $10, reach a maximum size of 30cm x 38cm and can carry the fan essentials such as an extra layer of clothing, a water bottle, a mobile phone and sunglasses.
David Freeman of Brands In Motion have has been involved in introducing the bags to venues across Australia.
"The idea of the design is to limit how much people can bring in a game," Freeman told AAP.
"At the same time transparent bags cover those security concerns and make it difficult for people to smuggle alcohol or weapons into the game.
"Fans can take the essentials into the game, nothing more, northing less.
"Transparent bags are the norm in the US and it could become the norm in sports venues across the country here.
The transparent bags could also have prevented the situation at Belmore Sports Ground earlier this year when a fan smuggled in a liquor bottle and hurled it at Canberra players just beyond the fence of the suburban ground.
