Specialist police carrying longarm semi-automatic rifles will be deployed to the Boxing Day Test as an additional safeguard for the community.
The initiative - which is proactive and based on the current threat environment and not a specific new threat - will see officers from Victoria Police's Critical Incident Response Team patrolling outside the MCG.
Victoria Police has been working with Cricket Australia and the Melbourne Cricket Club which are both supportive.
Victoria Police is proactively advising those attending the cricket of the safety measure, which will be highly visible across all five scheduled days of play.
The officers will be patrolling around the concourse and approaches to the ground.
This includes approaches from Birrarung Marr, Jolimont Railway Station and Yarra Park.
The increased presence is in addition to Victoria Police's planned resources involving general duties police, Mounted Branch and the Public Order Response Team who will be roaming both inside and outside the ground.
Victoria Police is taking a more overt approach to helping ensure community safety at key events.
Police from the Critical Incident Response Team are specifically trained to respond to major incidents and emergencies and perform dedicated patrols to maintain community safety in the city.
The semi-automatic rifles they will carry are part of their regular tactical equipment.
As part of the broader operation to ensure cricket fans enjoy the test safely, extra police and PSOs will be visible around the Yarra precinct including Richmond and Jolimont railway stations.
Police will also have a dedicated licensing and public order operation around nearby licensed venues.
Quotes attributable to Chief Commissioner Mike Bush:
"This overt presence is about adding another layer of protection to make sure cricket fans feel safe.
"It's important to stress this is a proactive, precautionary measure based on the current threat environment and not a specific new threat to this event.
"We know it's unusual to see police with these weapons outside the MCG but I want to assure everyone this is about greater safety and providing reassurance to the community.
"These deployments are part of our usual, broader effort which sees police and MCC security working in and outside the ground.
"Be it at the cricket, or anywhere else people are spending the summer, Victoria Police is here for all Victorians.
"As a modern, forward-thinking police force we should always be looking for new and different ways to be there for our communities."
