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'You've been warned': Umpire divides AFL with contentious call

Chris Young
·Sports Reporter

An unexpected talking point emerged mid-way through the semi-final clash between Brisbane and GWS on Saturday night, with an umpire threatening to pay a free kick against the Giants for targeting an injured player.

Lions forward Charlie Cameron came from the ground early in the first quarter after appearing to gruesomely hyperextend his elbow as he tried to make a tackle.

He spent nearly 10 minutes off the ground getting attention and strapping done on his elbow, before returning to the field prior to quarter time and booting a goal.

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But it was the actions of his direct opponent, Giants defender Adam Kennedy, which raised the ire of umpire Shaun Ryan.

After noticing Kennedy appear to target Cameron’s heavily strapped elbow as the pair jostled behind play, Ryan ran over to warn the defender against making unnecessary contact with Cameron’s arm.

“Do not be knocking his arm, OK? You’ve been warned,” Ryan could be heard telling Kennedy.

“You knock his arm, it’s against the spirit of the game, OK?

“If you continually knock his arm, I will pay a free kick. You’ve been warned, I’ve told you.”

Fans, commentators split over umpire’s warning

Ryan’s warning for Kennedy raised mixed reactions, with Channel 7 commentators Matthew Richardson and Cameron Ling arguing that, since Cameron was on the ground and playing, he was not an injured player.

While Ling said Cameron was ‘fair game’, while he was out on the field.

Richardson added that the umpire would have been better served staying out of the situation.

Adam Kennedy is pictured being warned by field umpire Shaun Ryan to stop targeting the injured elbow of Brisbane Lions forward Charlie Cameron. Picture: AFL/Channel 7
Adam Kennedy is warned by field umpire Shaun Ryan to stop targeting the injured elbow of Brisbane Lions forward Charlie Cameron. Picture: AFL/Channel 7

“He’s allowed to have a little bit of touch on him,” Richardson said.

“The umpire doesn’t need to be involved in that. Just get involved if it’s a clear free kick, otherwise just stay out of it.”

Fans were more divided on social media, with many pointing to a clause in the AFL rulebook which prohibits ‘unreasonable or unnecessary contact with an injured opposition player’.

Much of the debate centred around whether Cameron should be considered an injured playing, considering he had taken the field in spite of his elbow problem.