Hawthorn premiership player Campbell Brown has commended the AFL for their new approach towards reviewing incidents, describing it as “up-to-date with the modern game”.
After 13 seasons, the league has decided to the scrap the contentious Match Review Panel [MRP] and have appointed a single officer in Michael Christian, who will report directly to football operations boss Steven Hocking.
“Finally it looks to me that the Match Review is not in favour of the player, but it’s more realistic and up-to-date with the modern game,” Brown said on SEN Breakfast.
“Players aren’t copping two or three weeks for minor indiscretions, because this new system, credit to Steve Hocking and the AFL, it looks outstanding.
“I think looking at this it’s an outstanding new process that they will go through. Some common sense has finally prevailed.”
One of the major changes is the confirmation that charges will be laid within 24 hours of a Thursday or Friday night game, one Brown said will take away the incessant media coverage and anxiety.
“It takes away the four or five days of media coverage, one, the media coverage, two, the anxiety for the player and the club,” he said.
“Thursday, Friday [night games] you know within 24 hours. It just makes sense.”
He took issue with the AFL for making “decisions on the fly” in 2017, and said the new rules are much clearer, particularly with players not missing an extra week if they wish to challenge a suspension.
“By making it all a lot clear, (I) love the fact that you’re not going to cop an extra week if you attempt to challenge one,” Brown said.
“There would be so many times over the last few years, clubs and players go ‘we can fight this and win’, but we’re not prepared for you to miss another game. Now players can go and present their case, and have a fair case.
“It gives a player a fighting chance to contest a charge they believe they should contest, but are too afraid to because it would double their penalty.