FOOTAGE of unruly spectators will be beamed straight to security staff in a hi-tech assault on MCG cricket fans.
Crowd controllers will eventually use iPhones and iPads to help identify and evict drunk, abusive or obnoxious louts under the innovative scheme.
More than $3 million will be spent over five years on the internet-based CCTV.
Rowdy Aussie and English cricket fans at this year's Ashes series will be under the eye of razor-sharp digital technology that will enable monitoring teams to alert security staff to their exact location.
Rolling over the MCG's analogue CCTV system to the digital format has become a priority ahead of the boisterous support from England and Australian fans expected for the Boxing Day Test.
Almost 20 per cent of the stadium's old cameras have already been replaced.
The iPhone component will come later - but at least 15 devices could be in use by security staff during the cricket series.
Facilities general manager Peter Wearne said it was a cutting-edge push into the future of stadium surveillance.
"The main benefit will be the clarity of the CCTV pictures and the ability to play back and look at incidents while still recording," Mr Wearne said.
"We'll be able to zoom in on a patron and send the image to the closest security person."
He said one of the biggest issues in the past had been describing a culprit's appearance and his location to a security officer using just a two-way radio.
"The analogue surveillance system in place had a number of shortfalls, which really prompted the move to digital," Mr Wearne said.
But he said management were still in talks over how the iPhone component would be managed.
Facial recognition technology is also on the cards as IT staff push security methods that are considered to be ahead of some of the world's greatest sports stadiums.
"I don't think the technology (for facial recognition) is quite there yet, but in years to come this system could cope with that software," Mr Wearne said.
He said the concept would complement the text service that already allows punters to send an SMS to alert staff to specific situations
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