AFL General Manager Football Operations Mark Evans said the Commission had approved a number of changes to the system, designed largely to simply the understanding of the game’s judiciary process for all members of the football community.
Mr Evans said the key changes included:
· All offences to now be categorised as fines or weeks of suspension, no longer using any reference to base demerit points;
· The elimination of carry over points on any offence;
· Conduct now to be graded in two categories only – intentional or careless;
· The MRP to issue fines, two-game and three-game suspensions, with more serious offences referred to the Tribunal;
· Simplification of the Bad Record provisions, with a maximum addition of a one extra week’s suspension on a penalty;
· Retention of discounts for early pleas (lowering of fines or one-match suspension reduction), but removal of automatic good record provision;
· Brownlow Medal eligibility to be based around whether a player was suspended / not suspended for a match in any particular home and away season;
· Introduction of fines for low level offences, but with suspensions available to repeat third-offenders within a season;
· MRP retains the capacity to upgrade impact where there is the potential to cause injury.
“The AFL has been examining the MRP process for more than 12 months, and our focus has been to retain the excellent parts of the system while simplifying its operation and ensuring that appropriate penalties are in place for offences,” Mr Evans said.
“It is a strength of the MRP system that players are able to accept a discount for pleading guilty to an offence, but we did not want to continue to see players missing matches for low-level offences, due to carry-over points and poor records.
“It was also extremely confusing for fans to understand how a verdict was reached under the points system, so the primary changes have been based around a simplified record and plea process, with an easier to understand table of offences and categories,” he said.
Mr Evans said the AFL had been examining a revised MRP system throughout the 2014 premiership season, in tandem with the previous system that had been used since the 2005 season, and had presented a final model to the Commission last week.
The Commission approved the change and all clubs were notified in writing last night, with a briefing for all clubs today at their meeting while on the Gold Coast for this week’s NAB AFL Draft.
Read a full explanation of the changes
Mr Evans said low-level offences would now incur a financial sanction, but a repeat offender with three low-level offences in a season would face a one-game suspension.
The MRP would have the power now to issue two and three-game suspensions, while more serious offences will be referred directly to the Tribunal.
“In any instance where the table of offences does not deal with an incident in the way the MRP feels is reflective of what has occurred on field, the panel can either upgrade the level of impact, due to the potential to cause serious injury, or refer the matter directly to the Tribunal.
“Eligibility for the Brownlow Medal will be determined on the basis only of whether a player has missed a game through suspension in that particular season,” he said.
Mr Evans said players would continue to receive discounts on financial sanctions for pleading guilty while an early plea to an offence involving a suspension would mean a one-game discount.
A player will now only qualify for a bad record if he has been suspended for two matches within the last two calendar years and an additional one-match sanction will be the maximum penalty for a bad record.
