Essendon cop hefty fine over umpire incident
Updated . First published
Essendon have been slapped with a $20,000 fine after young guns Sullivan Robey and Angus Clarke were cited for umpire contact.
The AFL dealt Robey and Clarke respective individual fines of $3125 and $1500 after Essendon’s 90-point loss to Brisbane on Sunday.
Sullivan Robey in action against Brisbane. Getty
It took Essendon’s tally for umpire contact this season to five, and the AFL had threatened that five or more instances of that nature could be punished further.
The AFL released a statement on Thursday confirming the Bombers would be hit with a separate monetary sanction, which will be excluded from the soft cap.
Gold Coast were last month fined $20,000 after being charged with five instances of umpire contact.
Brisbane midfielder Jarrod Berry received a $1500 fine for umpire contact in Sunday’s clash, while Essendon big man Sam Draper was given a $3000 fine for tripping Jye Caldwell.
Essendon are navigating one of the most woeful periods by a club in history.
They are wallowing in 18th on the ladder and have won just one of their past 30 games, across last season and this year.
They are still in the hunt for a head coach after Brad Scott was sacked in May.
Dean Solomon, who stepped up on an interim basis, is yet to oversee a win after six games in charge, while Bombers icon James Hird is in the running to return.
Essendon have requested to be given an assistance package at season’s end.
