More frees for ‘‘niggling’’

AFL umpires will be urged to pay more free kicks for tummy punches and niggling tactics under the league’s bid to crack down on more serious offences.

The AFL Commission yesterday approved a suite of changes including a crackdown on studs-up marking and a new fines category for strikes that are not forceful enough to be worthy of suspension.

But instead of introducing a red card system that was at one stage being pushed, it hopes more free kicks for niggling tactics will stop some situations from escalating.

Under the current rules players are often fined for stomach punches off the ball or around stoppages but players are not penalised with free kicks. It means coaches do not try to eliminate those actions from their players because it does not cost them.

The AFL believes if umpires are encouraged to pay free kicks early for blocks and shoves and punches that are not forceful enough for a report, they will quickly be coached out of the game.

The AFL’s hope is that it might also stop players retaliating in the manner of Andrew Gaff (pictured left, middle), who had his run checked by opponent Andrew Brayshaw several times before his king hit. It would seem unreasonable to place any blame on Brayshaw for Gaff’s actions but the league stopped short of introducing a red card despite some public support.

The league will also introduce strict liability for head-high contact in bumps after Hawthorn’s Ryan Burton escaped penalty for the bump that knocked out North Melbourne’s Shaun Higgins.