Friday night at the MCG will see two of the most passionate fan bases in the AFL come together for the Preliminary Final.

Just because tens of thousands of Richmond and Collingwood fans will be there doesn’t mean you can’t have a great time.

These simple steps are easy to take and will ensure you are around for the Grand Final.

• Get to know your surroundings as intimately as possible. Study a map until you're very comfortable with the area;
• Think about your escape routes and safe havens before anything happens; Crossroads are good because you've got at least one road to race off down if rioters go crazy or the police start charging;
• Carry small amounts of cash with you in case you need to quickly arrange transportation, pay off looters, or address your basic needs;
• Avoid confrontation by keeping your head down and walk at all times. If you run or move too quickly, you might attract unwanted attention;
• Keep your loved ones close. If you're not alone, then the first thing you should do is grip the hands or lock elbows with all of the people who are with you. If you're with a child, hold them in your arms so they don't get trampled;
• Carry a scarf for both teams and swap depending who is around you;
• Try and flee into the MCC Members, it safer there;
• Move away from the riot as calmly as possible. If you're on foot, you should move away by going with the flow of foot traffic, not against it;
• If you feel that you may fall down in the big crowd and get trampled, use your elbows to push down on the crowd so that it carries you. Though you may want to run for your life, you should move calmly and relatively slowly;
• Wear clothes that minimize the amount of exposed skin, such as long pants and long-sleeved shirts;
• Carry a solution for rinsing your eyes in case you're exposed to tear gas;
• Avoid being hit by riot control chemicals or weapons. Police may deploy riot control agents (tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets, for example) to disperse a crowd; and:
• Carry spare clothes to change if you're hit by chemicals or a water cannon. Put them in a plastic bag for protection.

If you remember these simple precautions, the Preliminary Finals should be a happy and safe event for the whole family.

Enjoy the game!

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