Overview

• The new policy sends any player cited for careless umpire contact a fourth time within two years directly to the AFL Tribunal, where suspension is a possible outcome.
• Clubs face a $5,000 fine for a player’s second or subsequent umpire-contact offence in the same two-season period.
• Gold Coast’s Matt Rowell, St Kilda’s Jack Macrae and Carlton’s Adam Cerra each have three or more citations, putting them one more incident from automatic Tribunal referral.
• The AFL Players’ Association criticised the unilateral change as “disappointing” and has written to the AFL requesting a dedicated consultation forum.
• Coaches such as Brad Scott and Damien Hardwick have urged the league to review umpire positioning and overhaul tribunal procedures to reduce accidental collisions.