No tickets will be sold at the gate and spectators will be screened on the night. Non-Oakleigh members needed photo identification to buy tickets by last Friday.

The arrangements were agreed to by Football Federation Victoria, the clubs, Oakleigh police and Monash Council.

Though the club agreed to the measures to ensure the game went ahead, Oakleigh Cannons spokesman George Babatsias said the security approach was "extreme'' and "over-the-top'', given the two sides met without incident in Reservoir on July 13.

He said the club stood to foot a bill of $20,000 on beefed-up security a normal game's security might cost up to $2000.

Exact security was yet to be finalised, but there could be mounted police, crowd barriers, a police brawler van and extra police and security personnel.

"We just want to play the game and get it over and done with,'' Babatsias said.

"We preferred playing in front of Oakleigh members only, or even behind closed doors.

"With riot police there, it's not a good look for the game.''

FFV president Mark Rendell said its aim was to maintain an open-gate policy and a family-friendly environment for football games.

"That's why we're preselling tickets to control who buys them and to ensure it will be attended by genuine football fans.''

The clash had been postponed since April after crowd violence marred a match between Preston and South Melbourne.

In previous years, Oakleigh and Preston fans have clashed violently inside and outside of the Cannons' home games, leading the FFV to classify the game as "medium-to-high risk''.

Oakleigh, a Greek-based club, and Preston, a Macedonian-based club, haven't played each other at Jack Edwards Reserve since 2005.

Oakleigh police's Senior Sergeant Russell Wynd said

tensions between the clubs were high, but trouble-makers could be deterred by a cold Wednesday night.

"People can come to loiter outside, but they're coming a long way to rant and rave.

"If there are some hooligan supporters outside the gate, we'll have suitable police to take care of it.''