AFL MRO: Crackdown on umpire contact continues

Two players have been handed financial sanctions for careless contact with officiators.

WRITER | April 27, 2026 - 4:48pm

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The AFL's crackdown on umpire contact has continued, with two players cited for their carelessness in Round 7.

Adelaide's Wayne Milera and GWS recruit Clayton Oliver will be lighter in the wallet following their respective indiscretions.

It is the first offence for both men, meaning the sanction is $1500, with the option to see that number reduced to $1000, should the players enter early guilty pleas.

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 05: Wayne Milera of the Crows handballs under pressure during the round four AFL match between Gold Coast Suns and Adelaide Crows at People First Stadium, on April 05, 2025, in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Matt Roberts/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

The crackdown, first communicated in July last year, means after multiple instances of umpire contact, players will be sent to the Tribunal with bans potentially on the table.

Blue Adam Cerra was the first to be sent to the Tribunal after communication from the AFL that repeat offenders may be prosecuted, but still escaped with a fine, as opposed to a ban. That fine of $5,500 was clearly of greater weight than the $1000 handed to both Milera and Oliver in the wake of their first offences.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 7: Clayton Oliver of the Giants celebrates during the 2026 AFL Opening Round match between the GWS Giants and the Hawthorn Hawks at ENGIE Stadium on March 7, 2026 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

Round 7's action, in its entirety, saw no bans handed down by Match Review Officer, Michael Christian, meaning the Tribunal will not sit this week - a rarity in the current AFL climate.