AFL players could be cited by the match review panel within 24 hours of their matches this season – rather than wait days for the judiciary to sit in a lone session on Mondays.
This is particularly significant for players who are reported or involved in contentious on-field incidents in Thursday matches and Friday Night Football. They are inevitably subjected to severe public and media scrutiny across a weekend before the MRP meets.
The 18 AFL clubs’ football chiefs were advised of the league’s readiness to streamline the MRP process during Friday’s meetings at AFL House.
Griffiths hits a Sandilands brick wall. #NABChallenge https://t.co/AwmDZqaH6h
— AFL (@AFL) February 19, 2016
The three-man match review panel has traditionally met on Mondays, at the end of the nine-game round.
Not only does this leave too much time for heavy public debate on incidents in Thursday and Friday night games, but also creates potential timeline problems for players who may wish to challenge the MRP with a tribunal hearing or appeal case if their clubs are drawn to play in the increasingly popular Thursday night timeslot.
