Both Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge and North Melbourne boss Brad Scott predict tweaks to how the AFL will deal with off-the-ball hits this season.

Swinging arms from North’s Ben Cunnington, West Coast’s Liam Ryan and Carlton’s Liam Jones saw each player issued with fines, rather than suspensions, out of their round one matches.

Those punishments raised eyebrows given the AFL’s stated intent to remove the ugly incidents.

Beveridge foreshadowed a ramping-up of punishments if they continue.

“That’s where the confusion is. People have seen some of those instances and thought ‘if we’re trying to stamp it out, how do you sanction it?'” he said.

“What do they want to do? Do they want to stamp it right out? Or are going to provide fines and we’re just going to feel our way through it.

“I think the AFL will make their adjustments.

“I don’t think the decisions made based on the incidents last week will set a precedent. They can always change.”

While many thought Cunnington was lucky to escape a suspension, Scott said his midfielder didn’t think he’d gotten away with it.

“Ben Cunnington got a $3000 fine so he doesn’t think that he got off,” he said.

The Kangaroos mentor said he felt for both the match review team, working within the set parameters.

“The challenging thing for the match review officer is, they’re intentional and they’re to the body. The next thing to grade is impact,” he said.

“When there’s not a significant injury how do you grade it as anything other than low?

“Our players are on notice that those incidents will now start to be graded as medium and that will result in a week (suspension).

“So our end of bargain is simple: Don’t punch anyone.”

Scott also expressed sympathy for umpires given their riding instructions to be on the look out for whacks.

“Across round one, a lot of players went down like they’d been hit by a Mack truck when there was very minimal contact,” he said.

“It puts the umpires in a really difficult position where they’ve been old to pay free kicks for strikes off the ball but there are a number of players that go down like falling leaves.

“Watch footy. When you’re at a forward 50 stoppage and you feel contact, if players continually get rewarded with shots at goal for minimal contact, they’re going to keep doing it.”