Cats superstar Patrick Dangerfield has described the AFL tribunal as "farcial", following the decision to not suspend Ed and Charlie Curnow for making contact with umpires.
The Curnow brothers were handed $1000 fines for their indiscretion, as was Suns defender Steven May for also touching an umpire.
It came one week after Dangerfield's teammate Tom Hawkins was handed a one-match ban for a similar incident. And the Brownlow Medallist has vented his disapproval of the findings.
โI think it was farcical to be honest,โ Dangerfield told SENโs Time On.
โItโs been a couple of years running that Tomโs wore the brunt of the MRP and thatโs fair enough with the jumper punch last season, and now the umpire contact this year.
โAnd then the following week or the following weeks, the same thing has happened and it hasnโt been consistent.
โI think weโre all scratching our heads as to where the consistency is because Iโm a little confused as I think the majority of the AFL world is.
โTom fronted up, handled himself incredibly well and copped his right whack.
โAnd then all of a sudden the next week the same thing happens and all of a sudden thereโs a change in the adjudication.
โSeriously, itโs absolutely ridiculous.
โWhat are we supposed to do as football lovers when there is no consistency?
โI havenโt spoken to Tom about it but I would be right in saying that itโs just ridiculous, whatโs he to think?
โI would be pretty annoyed if I was him. Ed Curnowโs a wonderful guy and I have a huge amount of respect for Ed, but weโre talking about the incident here and itโs the same as Tomโs yet itโs a different outcome.
โI just donโt agree with it.โ
Dangerfield has applauded AFL head of football operations boss Steve Hockingโs decision to appeal the sanctions, saying the case digs deeper than just affecting the AFL system.
โThe industry made it clear last week that umpire contact is not going to be tolerated and we understand as AFL players that we are role models for the community, and whatโs accepted at AFL level does seed down to the lower levels,โ he said.
โSo now weโre saying itโs ok to touch umpires because obviously thatโs been the ruling of it.
โI think it was a wise move. I think there was fair uproar throughout the day and late last night with the decision when it was handed down.
โI think it was a clever move.โ
