The AFL Umpires’ Association welcomes the AFL’s decision to take a tougher stance on Umpire contact.
AFLUA CEO Rob Kerr said, “the AFLUA has been advocating for the last two seasons for stronger deterrents to umpire contact, including penalties to Clubs. Coaches have the ability to instruct their players how to set up at stoppages in a manner that reduces the likelihood of umpire contact so it is welcome that they have an incentive to be proactive on that front.
“Over recent years, while the number of contacts have been rising, so too have the instances where umpires have suffered from injuries as a result of the contact. While most contact is not heavy, there are occasions where it is and the umpires are very vulnerable in those cases as they are not expecting contact, are not braced for contact, and are generally significantly lighter than the player running into them. Umpires are no different to any other employee, they have the right to expect a safe workplace and where action can be taken to avoid accidents it should be taken.
“Each week the AFLUA surveys umpires asking them to record instances of umpire contact and our numbers show there are far more instances of contact than there are fines. The trend has been upwards with 44 recorded contacts in 2023, 80 in 2024, and 90 reports in the 2025 season to date.“
GEELONG, AUSTRALIA – MAY 22: Bailey Smith of the Cats collides with Umpire Jacob Mollison on the final siren of the round 11 AFL match between Geelong Cats and Western Bulldogs at GMHBA Stadium, on May 22, 2025, in Geelong, Australia. (Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images)