In the wake of Jimmy Webster's hit on North Melbourne captain Jy Simpkin and the response from coach Alastair Clarkson, it begs the question of how we view coaches and what's changed throughout the years.
Webster - who was handed a seven-game suspension by the AFL Tribunal - elected to bump and got it all wrong, provoking Clarkson to engage in verbal warfare during the quarter-time break.
Labelled by himself as "unnecessary" and "inappropriate", the Kangaroos coach conceded that his actions were not acceptable and issued an apology to Webster and teammate Dougal Howard.
Clarkson, despite admitting he overstepped his bounds, gave an insight into what football was.
However, in the modern age, it has no place.
Speaking on Triple M, Melbourne captain Max Gawn recalls a similar incident to Webster and Simpkin's in a game back in 2016 against Port Adelaide.
"Jack Viney hit Brad Ebert in the jaw and Ken Hinkley came down at quarter-time. He went hard at Jack Viney. And, yeah, It's a bit different," Gawn said.
“It got me fired up for the second quarter. I actually don't mind a coach getting involved to a small extent.
"Obviously, it sounds like Clarko (Alastair Clarkson) went over the line a bit.”
But where is the line drawn?
Collingwood premiership coach Michael Malthouse was sanctioned back in 2010 for having choice words with St Kilda player Stephen Milne. Fined $3000.
Legendary Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy gestured a slit throat during a game in 2000 against West Coast. Fined $7500.
Gawn's stance on having coaches get "involved to a small extent" may open a can of worms or better still, not close it entirely.
Understandably, the heat of the moment can alter certain behaviours - which are not justified - but are easier to explain.
However, this isn't Clarkson's first offence.
In 2009, Brad Sewell was struck high by Matthew Lloyd to which Clarkson was held back.
Three years later, he punched a hole in a coaching box wall at the MCG.
Clarkson was also fined $20,000 ($15,000 suspended) in 2017 after making a note of "disgraceful umpiring" in a match against Gold Coast.
Not to mention that he apologised 12 months ago following a run-in with a reporter regarding allegations surrounding Tarryn Thomas.
So has he learned? Does Clarkson represent an outdated cohort? Is he just an outlier?
Fellow coach and friend Damien Hardwick - who is heading the Gold Coast Suns - acknowledged that what was said by Clarkson "is obviously not on" but believes it can't be stamped out for good.
"Look, Clarko will be apologetic," Hardwick said, via the ABC.
"But when they're your players, they're your boys, they're like your children. You get very protective of those guys.
"And that's not to say that you should overstep the line, but the reality is every now and then we're going to do it."
Should we accept these terms? That "the reality is every now and then we're going to do it"?
Understandably, being an AFL coach is like being in a slow cooker for the entirety of your tenure. It's constantly hot with no exit in sight until the plug is pulled.
But as leaders of an AFL club, the standard must be better.
Anyone who takes an interest in AFL can identify there has been a shift away from traditional coaches that once filled out our game.
Former players who have ventured into the box have realised that to yield greater results, methods previously deemed unconventional are quickly turning into the norm.
The Pies' Craig McRae is what most would deem a modern-day coach, boasting a more equalised working structure reflected by his delegation to other coaches and senior players throughout the year.
Bringing along Collingwood's '19th' man - the fans - McRae has been labelled the "Ted Lasso of Australian sport", a TV character that utilises mindful and positive thinking to enhance sporting performance.
Seen more as a manager, the 2023 premiership coach oversees his troops whilst promoting an environment of freedom and fun, which is underpinned by a mentality to win.
The era of half-time sprays and players being dragged appear to be few and far between.
With it, comes an expectation and a standard that must be met or fear a hefty penalty.
And despite Clarkson's inspirational coaching record on-field, his behaviours off it attempt to nullify his achievements.