AFL CEO "concerned" with increase of umpire contacts

• AFL chief joined Kane and Kingy
• Spoke on the crackdown on umpire contact
• Touched on SCG surface
• Was asked if the bye rounds are working

CEO Andrew Dillon has outlined the AFL’s reasoning for the in-season crackdown on umpire contact.

The league released a statement earlier this week outlining that players could be sanctioned for repeated careless contact with match officials.

It has come to light that some players, including Gold Coast’s Matt Rowell, are already on four strikes meaning any subsequent umpire contact could lead to a possible suspension.

The decision has been slammed in some corners, particularly by Suns coach Damien Hardwick who says “look out” if one of his stars is rubbed out.

Dillon joined Kane Cornes and David King in the SEN Fireball studio to explain the mindset of the league in making this call.

“We are concerned about the number of umpire contacts that are happening,” said Dillon.

“Back in 2022 we had six for the year, it was low 20s in 2023, up to 50 last year, and then we've already had 60 this year.

“We wrote to the clubs at the start of the year, warning that this was on the radar.

“Again we wrote to the clubs in April and reminded the clubs to remind the players that there is the potential if there are multiple infractions for the same offence, which has got a fixed financial sanction, that there is the ability to refer that to the Tribunal. So we reminded the clubs and the players that that actually exists.

“We had a president's meeting in June where I raised that again. We had a lot of talk about umpires, and that was another thing that we raised there - the increased number. By that stage, the number of careless contacts had already gone above what it was last year.

“Then at the CEO's conference after another weekend where there was another three or four careless contacts, we advised the CEOs to remind them that that is there. And also, if there are players that have multiple ones in addition to the fines for the players and the potential to go to the Tribunal that the clubs would be fined $5000.”

As for making the change during the season, Dillon insists it has been done in a bid to avoid unwanted surprises at a later stage.

“If we feel there is a need to change we will do that,” he added.

“This is one where we’ve always had that ability. What we have done - we did it in April, we did it at the start of the year - is just reminding clubs and players that the ability to refer to the Tribunal just sits there.

“And just putting some clarity around when we might use that so if it did happen it wasn’t a surprise.”

Dillon was asked: Does he believe a player will ever miss a game for umpire contact?

“I won't go into hypotheticals, but if it was a careless contact for clipping heels, that would be a fine, but if it's someone who's had multiple (offences), it might be referred to the Tribunal and the fine might be increased," he replied.

“I think it's very unlikely (a suspension).”

Has there been an overreaction from the public and people like Hardwick?

“I think if you take things to the extremes you can always do that,” he said.

“We spoke with all 18 CEOs, and they were really understanding. The health and safety of our players is paramount - we say that all the time.

“Absolutely, it's the same for our umpires. Of the 60 careless contacts that there were after Round 15, every single one of them was at a stoppage.

“So it's nothing to do with four umpires or three umpires or two umpires. It’s the umpire backing back with their back when they're balling it up or bouncing it in the middle.”

Dillon also touched on a number of other topics.

Was he embarrassed by the state of the SCG surface last week?

“I don’t think that is the word I would use but I wasn’t happy,” he responded.

“I bumped into the Swans president (Andrew Pridham) after the game. He wasn’t happy with the result but he also wasn’t happy as well (with the surface).

“We both took the opportunity to talk to the Chairman of Venues NSW Saturday morning who, to be honest, wasn’t happy either.

“The ground was absolutely safe, but it wasn’t at the level we expect. The AFL owns and operates Marvel, and we spend a lot of time on the turf.

“We expect that of all our venues.”

__How does he see the state of the game right now? __

“Overall the game is in unbelievable shape.

“We’re not without issues and challenges, but one of the things that is great about our game is that people care so much about it.

“Your weekend can ride on an umpiring decision. Because people care so much about the game - it is owned by the fans. One of the responsibilities of this role is to listen.

“But generally our crowds are at record numbers, the viewership numbers of a strong broadcast deal are really strong, people are playing the game in more numbers than they ever had before, and our club memberships are at 1.3 million.

“Those overall metrics are really strong, but it doesn’t mean that we can’t be better.”

Have the multiple bye weeks worked? Why not have one mid-season break?

“Maybe you could speak to your employer (Channel 7), Kane.

“I think it’s a fan issue.

“We’ve done everything. In my time at the AFL we’ve had a week off, then we’ve had one game, then we had two, and now we spread it over five weeks.

“I think there are different views on what’s right and what’s wrong. What people do love is their footy and they love it when their team is playing.

“My personal opinion is either what we did this year or may be one less week. I like weekends where there are at least seven games. You can have your Thursday night, Friday night, a full slate on Saturday, and a couple of games on Sunday.

“If you can have seven or with games on the weekend then that’s great. But we also have to be mindful of what we’re asking of our players and also of the football staff. Having a week off is really important for them as well.

“So that’s managing the byes but making sure on each weekend there’s the right amount footy for the fans.”

Listen to the full chat below: