When is it okay to touch an AFL umpire, and when is it not?
Clarification could be closer after Tuesday night’s AFL tribunal, when Carlton’s Charlie and Ed Curnow both take the stand for the same offence: intentionally making contact with a whistle-blower.
The Blues brothers come after Geelong forward Tom Hawkins and Gold Coast captain Steven May were issued different punishments for touching officials in the past fortnight.
Hawkins admitted his crime in the Cats’ round seven clash with GWS and walked away with a one-week ban.
On Monday night, May was left free to play in the Suns’ trip to China when he was served a $1000 fine for his clash with official David Harris.
May was found not guilty of intentionally contacting the umpire, and guilty of the lesser charge of careless contact.
While Hawkins brushed away Dean Margetts in an gesture that could be seen as disrespectful, May was conversing with Harris and claimed not to feel the touch as he repeated the action that saw him give away a free kick.
“It was never my intention to make contact with umpire Harris,” May said.
“It’s unfortunate contact was made, it’s not an example I want to set for junior footballers across the country.”
Hawkins, who apologised for his action, said the barely-seen charge could make its way to the tribunal far more often if each interaction on a footy field was assessed.
“When you look at football, there’s a lot more player-and-umpire contact than brushes than you would probably think,” he said.
“Absolutely we respect the need and the role that the umpires play in the game.”
The barely seen charge will be tested twice more when the Curnows’ cases are examined on Tuesday night.
The brothers’ incidents, which came in the Blues’ drought-busting win over Essendon on Saturday, appeared closer to Hawkins’ action and could see bans issued.
A third case could also be heard, with North Melbourne pondering whether to challenge a one-match ban issued to Jack Ziebell.
The Kangaroos captain kneed Reece Conca in the head in Sunday’s loss to Richmond.
