Hawks stars fined for umpire abuse in ugly end to prelim final thriller

The AFL declined to refer Sicily directly to the tribunal, believing it can crack down on umpire abuse with fines rather than suspensions.

An emotional and demonstrative Sicily rushed to umpire Meyer’s side alongside teammate Tom Barrass to complain about a string of decisions that included Jarman Impey’s holding the ball call against Hugh McCluggage.

Sicily is understood to have used several strong expletives towards umpire Meyer and suggested he had lost the game for the Hawks.

But while Port Adelaide’s Zak Butters was alleged to have asked umpire Nick Foot: “How much are they paying you,” in the heavily-contested April incident, Sicily’s fury did not have an integrity-related theme.

So it allowed the league to use its fines system instead of elevating his punishment.

The AFL under football boss Greg Swann has been keen not to take those issues to the tribunal and only referred the Foot-Butters incident at Foot’s request after the parties could not work through the incident.

The match review panel had earlier this year fined Giants defender Lachie Ash $5000 for abusive language towards an umpire after he went up to Jordyn Pearson and aggressively shouted in her face.

It allowed the AFL to use that precedent on Sunday to fine Sicily $10,000 for misconduct and Barrass $5000 for their post-match conduct.

Those fines took into account not only the expletives used but also the demonstrative and aggressive manner in which they went up to the umpire.

The Sicily-Barrass abuse was not caught on the umpires’ microphones but it was clear to the match-day official what was said to him.

Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell on Monday said Sicily and Barrass were more than aware they crossed the line, saying “emotions got the better of them”.

Sicily said at the Brownlow Medal red carpet that he regretted what he did.

“If I had my time again I wouldn’t have done it, that sort of stuff is obviously not play on,” he told 7.

“If I see Hayden tonight I will make sure I go over and shake his hand and apologise and if I don’t see him I’ll make sure I do it some time next season.”

Sicily said the emotions at the time got the better of him.

“Yeah for sure, it did, but I copped my whack which was rightly deserved and if I see him I’ll make sure I go over and shake his hand and apologise,” he said.

Meyer had paid the late but correct holding the ball free kick against Hawk Jarman Impey that resulted in Lion Hugh McCluggage kicking a goal.

It was determined by the match review officer that the fine for “abusive language towards an umpire” was inadequate in value – standing at $5000 on the fixed sanction table – given their actions.

Mitchell, who said he was “starting to come out of the cave” after the defeat, said he had spoken with the pair.

“We caught up yesterday, Box Hill had a great win in their grand final yesterday so we sat and watched that and I certainly caught up with those boys and chatted through it,” he said on SEN.

“They’ll work through the fines and all the things they have to do at their end but they knew that the emotions got well and truly the better of them at that moment.”

Mitchell wouldn’t be drawn on whether a suspension would be a more appropriate sanction as the game sets out to support umpires more strongly.

“The umpires have got an enormously difficult job. I go and watch my kids play sport … the way people treat umpires is very important all the way through,” he said.

“We have to set a very high bar for what we expect in that area.

“I wouldn’t call it a pattern of behaviour. We need to make sure our umpires are respected and treated that way.”

He slammed fans who launched projectiles including cans of drink and bottles at the whistleblowers as they exited the field.

“A few fans decided to throw things, and not act appropriately so that was a bit disappointing,” Mitchell said.

“It has sort of soured what was one of the greatest games of all time.

“I hadn’t heard about that at all … on the ground there was a lot of debris. I hadn’t seen any of that – I assume that was all happening when we were coming down from the coaches box.

“I read a story about a young 8-year-old who had nachos thrown at them at the footy. One of the great things about Aussie rules footy is how you can just take anyone, sit anywhere and feel safe all the time.

“I think we lost that for a moment after the game and I don’t think that’s ever what anyone wants, so it’s making sure that we behave appropriately and that goes to our players as well.

“Going towards umpires after games, I don’t think, is appropriate either.”

Mitchell said on reflection, the free kick paid against Impey was “clearly” correct and said a number of his own players “who in any other circumstance would have done something” but were “stunned mullets” surrounding Impey “at the moment that mattered most”.

“They’re the things we’ll be able to work on in our off-season and making sure that we continue to improve,” he said, having fallen short in a preliminary final in consecutive seasons.

“Those individual moments, if it comes down to them, there’s always going to be some luck involved.

“We’re not quite ready for the last Saturday in September, unfortunately.”

Originally published as Hawks stars fined for umpire abuse in ugly end to prelim final thriller