After the AFL changed the Match Review Panel to a single Match Review Officer in Michael Christian in late 2017, many expected a more clear and concise adjudication system in 2018.

However, these decisions caused real controversy among the public this season.

Here are some of the incidents that had the whole footy world talking!

4. Devon Smith's swing and miss

Less than two weeks after Andrew Gaff knocked Andrew Brayshaw into next week, resulting in an eight-match ban, Essendon star Devon Smith swung and missed at Richmond's Kamdyn McIntosh and may well have had the same effect.

Smith received a $1500 fine for the swing, bringing the AFL's supposed stampdown on punching into question. It also posed the question of if the MRO should base its system on the action rather than the outcome.

AFLW star Daisy Pearce even said on Game Day that Smith's action was worse than Jeremy Cameron's on Harris Andrews, which he missed multiple games for.