Geelong defender Zach Tuohy is confused by the inconsistency in the AFL tribunal’s adjudication of umpire contact after Steven May, Ed Curnow and Charlie Curnow were let off with fines a week after Tuohy’s teammate Tom Hawkins was suspended for a week.
The AFL will appeal the decisions against the Curnow brothers today – not May though – and Tuohy said he no longer knows what’s allowed and what’s not.
“I’d love to be able to (tell you what I can and can’t do), I mean, of course umpires are off limits, we all get that,” he told SEN Breakfast.
“I’m slightly torn on the decision on the weekend between Ed Curnow being one of my best mates and being happy he’s off and just not really understanding what it is we’re supposed to do.
“I thought Hawkins would get off with a fine, but when he didn’t and the precedent was set, I can’t really understand how it wasn’t followed through this week so I’m not sure.”
Tuohy said contact with officials is equally off-limits in Gaelic football back home in Ireland.
“There was an incident a couple of years ago where a player slapped a book out of the referee’s hands and he ended up getting like a six month ban so it’s highly frowned upon as well,” he said.
The Cats take on Essendon this weekend and even with the Bombers’ struggles, Tuohy still isn’t quite looking forward to take one of their dangerous small forwards.
“Who am I going to pick up? Oh, not Orazio Fantasia, not Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti, I’m one of the eldest guys down there so I can just delegate now!”
Listen to the full interview with Zach Tuohy below.