Essendon has been fined $10,000 for its sixth incident of umpire contact.
The Bombers' sixth incident came in Round 20 but the league took time to consider the sanction, having already fined the club $20,000 for its fifth incident of umpire contact.
Sam Durham was the culprit, cited against Hawthorn.
The fines given are at the AFL's discretion and sit outside the soft cap for clubs.
The $10,000 sanction likely sets the precedent for such offences for the rest of 2026, with all of Western Bulldogs, Fremantle, Gold Coast and the Dons fined $20,000 for their fifth incident of umpire contact.
It comes after an AFLPA survey released last month revealed 68 per cent of players questioned the fairness of the sanctions, while 44 per cent admit they have a low understanding of what constitutes an offence.
The AFL has this year cracked down on careless umpire contact after 91 offences were recorded last year.
Brisbane, Collingwood, North Melbourne and Sydney are on the verge of a fine for their fifth offence.
