MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 21: Tigers fans celebrates a goal during the round one AFL match between the Carlton Blues and the Richmond Tigers at Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 21, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images)
The Richmond cheer squad has emplored the AFL to give them a list of phrases they are allowed to use following another spate of ejections for umpire abuse during recent matches.
Since the Tigers' clash with Hawthorn in round five, Tigers cheer squad member Brett Beattie believes security guards integrity officers have been patrolling the cheer squad area at a high rate.
During that fixture, a fan was handed a three-week ban for directing a "green maggot" insult at an umpire, with three fans also reportedly ejected against North Melbourne just weeks later.
The Herald Sun believes one fan in particular was booted out of Marvel Stadium for calling an umpire a "dog".
“We have noticed a massive increase in security around the cheer squad bays the last couple of weeks,” Beattie told the Herald Sun.
“There are two guys dressed up like FBI agents from the integrity department and a spotter who points us out to the integrity guys and takes photos and sends it to the club and tries to ban us.
“They are turning fans away. What are we allowed to say? Where is the line? We know we can’t abuse umpires, or use foul language but where is the warning?
“People say it is a family event but it’s not the theatre. If people yell out the wrong thing they get corrected now by the people around them. We had three people taken out of the Richmond-Kangaroos game before quarter time.”
The AFL is set to review an incident from the weekend on Tuesday, with a Carlton fan kicked out of his side's win over Brisbane for calling umpire Matthew Nicholls a "bald-headed flog".