Shaw’s case for contact with AFL umpires

HEATH Shaw, who copped the most recent AFL suspension for umpire contact before this year’s crackdown, fears the sport has become a bit precious about the touchy subject.

Shaw was given a onegame ban for making intentional contact in 2009.

Geelong spearhead Tom Hawkins and Carlton midfielder Ed Curnow received one-match suspensions this season, while Brownlow medallist Dustin Martin headlines a long list of players to have been fined for careless contact with umpires in 2018.

GWS veteran Shaw feels contact made while demonstrating an incident, provided it is slight and not malicious or aggressive, has the potential to be mutually beneficial.

“It’s sort of hard to get my head around it. That you can’t actually explain what you’re trying to do, one-onone with an umpire,” he said.

“To try to get a better result for yourself and for them, going forward.

“Sometimes I think we’re a bit precious. If somebody is genuinely inquiring about a situation . . . and you’re not trying to be malicious towards the umpire then I don’t really see a problem.”

The AFL is expected to clarify umpire contact rules in the off-season.

Match review officer Michael Christian has defined intentional contact as a player “disrespectfully, aggressively, dismissively or indeed forcefully, intentionally” touching a whistle-blower.