Terrorists planned football attack

A group of Muslim Australians planned to attack a grand final football match in Melbourne in 2005 attended by 97,000 fans, Australia's biggest terrorism trial heard yesterday.

But security raids on the homes of some members in July 2005, three months before the Australian Football League (AFL) grand final, forced the group to change its target and begin planning attacks on Melbourne's casino during a Formula One race weekend or another football match, the court heard.

Muslim spiritual leader Abdul Nacer Benbrika and 11 of his followers have pleaded not guilty to charges they planned a bomb attack to force Australia to withdraw its troops from Iraq.