Port Adelaide’s chief executive has slammed the AFL Tribunal process as “too legalistic” and “too adversarial”.
The club has notified the league it will appeal the tribunal’s decision against Zak Butters, who was found guilty for using abusive and insulting language towards an umpire after a free kick was awarded to St Kilda in Port’s 14-point loss on Sunday night.
Butters and field umpire Nick Foot disputed what was said but the tribunal ultimately sided with Foot and handed the midfielder a $1,500 fine.
Today Port chief executive Matthew Richardson called for a reform of the tribunal process.
“This week we put a player, an umpire and an official in a situation which should have been handled so much better,” he said.
“No-one’s committed murder here — it’s a game of footy.
“Can we find a process that actually doesn’t drag them through what they’ve been through this week? Because ultimately all of them are the victims of what happened this week.”
Zak Butters said he was disappointed with the AFL Tribunal’s findings, which were handed down on Tuesday. (ABC News: Briana Fiore)
Mr Richardson stressed that the club’s position was not about the outcome but the tribunal process.
“Port Adelaide’s position is straightforward: the tribunal’s process needs to be reformed,” he said.
“It is too legalistic, it’s too adversarial and it places people under a level of scrutiny and stress that is disproportionate to the nature of the incidents it is designed to resolve.”
“Let’s actually get together and determine a process that one, supports our people, but two, we understand that we’re in a game that’s always going to be [involving] conflict … but does it need to be as legalistic as what it is at the moment? Can we resolve the differences that are in the game in a different way?”
An appeal hearing has been scheduled for 5pm AEST on Monday. Mr Richardson did not reveal the club’s grounds of appeal.
AFL’s gamble with conflict of interest concerns didn’t pay off
Port was not the only club that questioned the tribunal’s process.
When asked about the tribunal’s findings this week, against Butters and Lance Collard, who was banned for using a homophobic slur during a VFL game, St Kilda coach Ross Lyon today said the decisions weighed heavily on players.
“It has been lit up, hasn’t it? Like it’s a firestorm and the AFL is in the middle of it and the processes are in the middle of it,” Lyon told reporters in Adelaide on Thursday.
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge, speaking broadly about the tribunal, urged the use of “common sense”.