A woman was injured after an altercation with volunteers outside a One Nation meet-and-greet event in Melbourne, held for Essendon candidate John Barnes. The incident occurred on Saturday at the Ascot Vale Neighbourhood Centre when a passerby tried to enter the ticketed event and was refused, leading to a physical confrontation. The clash matters as it highlights rising tensions around One Nation's growing political presence in Victoria ahead of the state election.

Victoria Police confirmed officers attended the scene on Munro Street at around 1.30pm after a disagreement between the woman and a person at the event, during which she was pushed and sustained minor injuries not requiring medical treatment. No arrests have been made and inquiries continue, with the woman and event organisers giving conflicting accounts of who instigated the confrontation. Barnes, a former AFL premiership player and concussion-injury campaigner, is contesting the Labor-held seat of Essendon for One Nation, a party that a Resolve poll from August put at 23 per cent support in Victoria, just two points behind Labor.