The AFL Umpires Association (AFLUA) are urging to the league to consider changing the guidelines around umpire contact in the wake of the controversial Brayden Maynard incident over the weekend.
It’s the latest in a long list of disputes between the league and umpires, with Channel 7’s Caroline Wilson saying the AFL are “in denial” over the situation.
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Collingwood leader Maynard and Gold Coast star Touk Miller were both fined for misconduct after making contact with umpire Nick Brown during the fiery half-time melee.
The all-in brawl came moments after Maynard copped a nasty hit to the ribs from Suns antagonist Ben Long, which resulted in a two-match ban.
Maynard had been charging towards Long (with Miller trailing behind) when he made contact with Brown. Miller also made contact with the umpire, who quickly got out of the way before the melee escalated.
Both players were fined $5000 with the AFL match review officer opting to charge the pair with misconduct, rather than the standard umpire contact charge which would have been much less.
But the AFLUA have hit out at the sanction, saying that fining players is not an effective deterrent.
“The AFLUA & AFL have been discussing and debating player contact with umpires over the last two seasons. We have expressed our view that the current MRO guidelines are deficient because they provide no ability to suspend a player unless contact with the umpire is intentional,” they said in a statement.
“The increases of umpire contact over recent years has proven that fines are not an effective deterrent. Where contact with an umpire is forceful or avoidable there needs to be an ability to suspend players.
“This is important not only to protect AFL Umpires but also to make it clear at community level that contact with an umpire is not acceptable.”
Channel 7 reporter Tom Morris said a number of umpires were shocked that Maynard escaped a ban.
“The umpires I’ve spoken to, and I’ve spoken to multiple in the last 24 hours, can’t believe that the AFL hasn’t suspended Maynard,” Morris said on The Agenda Setters.
“But on the other hand, they also aren’t surprised, given the lack of support they’ve felt from the AFL in the past.”
Wilson argued there definitely should have been suspensions handed out and said AFL footy boss Greg Swann could have done it.
“I think that there should have been suspensions, and I think the way Greg Swans has run the footy operation at the AFL is if he thinks he needs to be pragmatic and go against the guidelines, then he does so,” she said.
“I mean, he doesn’t sends please explains. He rings up coaches, and he rings up clubs and debates things with them.
“If he felt that there was sufficient reason to suspend both Maynard and Miller, and I reckon there was, then he would have done so.”
Wilson went on to say that the AFL don’t realise how unsupported the umpires feel.
“I think the AFL’s in denial about how the umpires are unhappy at the moment,” she said.
“I don’t think they rate it as seriously as they should be rating it.
“The AFL is saying, so after 17 rounds last year, I think there were 63 fines. This year, there are only 46 fines. So they’re saying that’s a good thing, although it’s still too many for player contact with umpires.
“I don’t think the AFL realise just how upset and unsupported the umpires feel.”
Meanwhile, Maynard said there was no malice in the incident, but did concede he should have been aware of the umpire.
“When I was running over there, I came from about 50 metres deep, so I probably should have been aware of what was around me,” he said on Ausmerican Aces.
“But like I said, I had my eyes on one man and one many only, and unfortunately the umpire was in the way.
“It was careless; I didn’t mean to touch him, he sort of just was there in the middle, I had to get him out of the way.
“There was no malice in it whatsoever. If I didn’t move him out the way I probably would have bulldozed him over, let’s be honest.”
