Triple M Footy news breaker Tom Browne revealed today that the AFL has sent a memo to clubs about coaches comments about umpiring.
THE MEMO THE AFL SENT TO COACHES ABOUT UMPIRING COMMENTS:
“Over the last day or, it’s my understanding that the AFL has sent a memo to the bosses of footy at all the clubs, just asking them to reign the coaches in, in terms of their criticism, or critique, or comments regarding the umpiring,” Browne said on the Tom Browne’s News podcast.
“The AFL does send regular communication to the clubs, there’s no issues there, but there has a note as part of it go out this week… asking the coaches to reign in their commentary in regards to the umpiring.
“There was previously a bit of an unwritten rule, in press conferences coaches would often say ‘oh I can’t comment on the umpiring for fear of getting a fine.”
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Browne said that the memo referenced not just coaches commentary, but also the behaviour of the coaches when they’re sitting on the bench near the match officials and reserve umpires.
“What we’ve seen this year… is coaches sitting on the bench more regularly, that’s happening a lot,” he said
“Part of that note to the clubs, I understand, is to tell the coaches to be mindful of their conduct towards the match officials, and the goal emergency umpire that sits on the bench.
“That’s the area where the officials sit between both teams… some of the match officials and the umpires are just wary of coaches giving them, for want of a better term, death stares during the game.”
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Tom Browne also discussed the effect the new Tasmania team is having on Olympic funding, Dimma’s “say it to my face” comment and more.