Reportable offences, the match review panel, the tribunal, and the appeals process that decides suspensions.
A reportable offence is any on-field act that the AFL's match review panel deems worthy of a sanction. The system grades each incident by conduct, impact, and contact — then hands down a fine, a week, or sends the player to the tribunal to plead their case.
Regulation 16 lists the categories of conduct that can be reported: striking, kicking, tripping, wrestling, engaging in rough conduct, making forceful contact to the head, charging, and making unreasonable or unnecessary contact with an umpire — among others. The list is long, because the game produces a wide variety of incidents that require adjudication.
The Match Review Officer (MRO) reviews all reportable incidents after each round and classifies them using the Conduct × Impact × Contact matrix. Each category carries a grading — intentional, careless, or accidental for conduct; severe, high, medium, or low for impact; and high, body, or groin for contact.
The combination of gradings produces a financial sanction or a suspension. A player can accept the MRO's proposed penalty (usually with an early plea discount) or challenge it at the Tribunal.
The AFL Tribunal (Regulation 19) is the adjudicating body that hears contested charges. It comprises a chairman and a panel of three — typically former players — who consider evidence, video, and submissions from both sides. Decisions are made on the balance of probabilities, a lower standard than criminal "beyond reasonable doubt".
A player who challenges an MRO sanction and loses at the tribunal typically loses their early plea discount, meaning the penalty can increase if the challenge fails. That risk is why many players accept the MRO offer even when they believe the grading is harsh — the cost of losing at the tribunal is a longer ban.
Regulation 20 allows a Tribunal decision to be appealed to the AFL Appeals Board. Appeals are heard on a restricted set of grounds: an error of law, a decision that no reasonable tribunal could have reached, or a manifestly excessive or inadequate penalty. An appeal is not a re-hearing of the facts — the appeal board works from the tribunal's record.
The appeals process has historically resulted in few sanctions being overturned, but high-profile cases — Jeremy Cameron in 2021, Toby Greene in 2022 — have produced reversals and reduced suspensions when the original decision was deemed legally flawed.
Sanctions range from a financial penalty at the low end to lengthy suspensions at the severe end. A one-match ban for a careless head-high bump is common. A multi-week ban typically follows contact classified as "intentional" or "severe impact". Suspensions for striking an umpire are among the heaviest the code imposes (Regulation 18).
Fines, when incurred, can accumulate across a season. A player who has been sanctioned multiple times may face an escalated penalty on a subsequent offence even if the new incident is relatively minor. The system is designed to deter repeat offenders and discourage the "cheap shots" that fall just below a suspension threshold on their own.