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!
The AFL's policy on umpire contact was flipped on its head this season after Tom Hawkins received a one game suspension for intentional contact with an umpire.
The following week, two other incidents of umpire contact were assessed by the MRO, with this incident earning Ed Curnow a one week ban, before being turned over by the tribunal.
Brother Charlie also escaped a ban after this incident, causing confusion to rein across the football world.
After the much criticised fine of Richmond star Alex Rance for diving in Round 11, many anticipated the same fate for Cats legend Gary Ablett after this incident in Round 21 against Hawthorn.
Shockingly, Ablett escaped suspension for the apparent dive, making the AFL's stance on diving all the more confusing for its fans.
In their clash against the Cats at Adelaide Oval this season, Crows skipper Taylor Walker came under fire for this hit on Cats defender Zach Tuohy.
Walker was given a one game suspension for the hit, after it was graded as careless with medium impact.
Former Swans and Demons coach Paul Roos lambasted the decision, saying "when you slow it down, I’m staggered. This is the most mind-boggling decision Michael Christian has made all year."
Against the Kangaroos, Suns skipper Steven May cost his side a goal after hitting Shaun Higgins behind play.
May however, even with his poor record escaped a ban for the hit, to the surprise of former players such as Brent Staker and Nick Dal Santo and the general public. May was fined $2000 for the punch.
Higgins was on the receiving end again in this incident, being blindsided by Ryan Burton who elected to bump.
Christian elected not to suspend Burton for the incident, which left Higgins with a broken jaw stating, "he couldn’t reasonably foresee that there was going to be an accidental clash of heads.''
Many expected Burton to miss multiple weeks for the hit, including Nick Dal Santo and AFL 360 co-host Mark Robinson.
‘"What constitutes (that) a player can reasonably foresee a head clash? I tell you what, you can reasonably foresee it if you choose to bump and not tackle. That increases the threshold of reasonably foresee," Robinson said.
"I’ll be honest, I nearly fell off my chair when it (Burton’s clearance) came through today. I went "you’re kidding".''
After what appeared to be a strong but fair tackle on Port player Karl Amon, the football world was stunned to see Nic Naitanui rubbed out for one game.
The decision left Eagles coach Adam Simpson dumbfounded, particularly the aspect of AFL advocate Jeff Gleeson arguing Naitanui had a duty of care being the bigger player.
"In 0.8 of a second, Nic's got to assess obviously where the ball is, who's about to get the ball, his height, his weight," Simpson said.
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.
The GWS star was referred directly to the tribunal after this incident involving Lions defender Harris Andrews.
Cameron received a five-week suspension from the Tribunal, having argued successfully that Cameron intentionally struck Andrews. This particular incident was a catalyst for the send-off rule debate which engulfed the public after Lions coach Chris Fagan argued losing Andrews had a massive impact on the result of the game.
The Brownlow Medal favourite came under scrutiny early on in season 2018 after this off the ball hit on Kangaroos ruckman Todd Goldstein.
Mitchell controversially escaped a suspension and received a $1000 fine from the MRO. Mitchell may have been saved by the victim of the incident, after Goldstein told the media the hit was "like being hit by a fly."
Obviously the biggest suspension of the season warrants the biggest controversy. Gaff was sent straight to the tribunal for striking Andrew Brayshaw well off the ball in the Western Derby late in the season.
Before the match had even ended, debate raged once again of the AFL's need to introduce a send off rule and the length of punishment Gaff should have received.
Journalist Caroline Wilson said "I'd be amazed if it's anything less than 10 weeks."
Before the hearing the public deliberated over the incident and the AFL Tribunal came to a decision of eight weeks. The suspension meant Gaff would miss the entirety of the finals as his side pushes for a potential Grand Final berth.
Melbourne champion Garry Lyon believed Gaff had gotten off light.
'I think eight weeks was at the bottom end of the scale from my own personal point of view," he said on AFL 360.