Aussie cops halt conference to catch offender

File photo / Hawkes Bay Today

Senior Victorian police launching a weekend blitz on drunken louts have abandoned their Melbourne news conference midstream to arrest an over-lubricated AFL fan.

Commander Trevor Carter was launching Operation Unite - a 24-hour blitz on drunkenness and violence - when the drunk rushed into the middle of Flinders Street to do some traffic control of his own.

With tens of thousands of people pouring out of the MCG after Friday night's AFL blockbuster, a man, under the nose of the commander, played chicken in the traffic.

Putting the press conference aside, Mr Carter and Senior Constable Marty Beveridge went and grabbed the lout.

But after a short talk he broke loose and bolted after saying "you're too old, you'll never catch me".

However he failed to account for the long arm of the law.

The commander and Sen Const Beveridge gave chase, tracking the man through Federation Square for about 80m before before catching up with him as he sat on some steps.

Caught and cuffed, the drunk was put in the back of a hailed divvy van to the great amusement of hundreds of AFL fans.

The commander's point was made - this is what Operation Unite is all about.

He said there are hundreds of police throughout Victoria who will be cracking down on drunkenness, violence and anti-social behaviour.

"What's happened tonight is an example of that," Commander Carter said.

"We've already made a number of early arrests."

More than 200 people were arrested during last year's Operation Unite.

- AAP