Gold Coast has been fined $20,000 for its fifth umpire contact of the year.
It follows Dan Rioli's charge in Round 14 after Gold Coast unsuccessfully attempted to appeal the charge at the AFL Tribunal on Tuesday night, via written submission.
The fine sits outside the soft cap, with the AFL having the power to fine the club up to $50,000.
The AFL issued a memo to clubs on February 11, 2026 advising of amendments to AFL Regulations, including the introduction of AFL Regulation 18.2 (Sanction Also on Club - Careless Contact with Umpire). A further memo was sent to clubs on May 20, 2026 reinforcing the new AFL Regulation.
In the event there are any subsequent umpire contact incidents, potential fines will be at the AFL's discretion.
“This season we have continued to observe a high number of umpire contact incidents across the league. Amongst these instances of umpire contact, a number have resulted in significant injuries to the affected umpires," AFL Executive General Manager of Football Performance Greg Swann said.
“This is a trend in the game which we do not want to see continue. Clubs and players have a responsibility to ensure the number of instances of avoidable contact with umpires are reduced."
