Match Review Officer Michael Christian has been kept busy so far this season. But Jy Simpkin’s ‘misconduct’ fine might be the most bizarre incident he’s had to assess to date.
The MRO on Monday released his findings from the three Round 8 games played on Sunday, including Port Adelaide’s Junior Rioli being sent directly to the tribunal for his contact with Essendon’s Jordan Ridley and $10,000 worth of fines being handed out to Collingwood and Sydney players for various melees.
One incident was assessed from St Kilda’s win over North Melbourne, with Kangaroos co-captain Simpkin fined for ‘misconduct’ against Mattaes Phillipou during the third quarter.
Watch every match of every round of the 2023 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
Simpkin’s misconduct was taking Phillipou’s GPS device from his jumper and throwing it away.
The Saints midway through the third term had won a free kick inside their forward 50 for holding the ball after Mitch Owens laid a tackle on North’s Darcy Tucker. Phillipou then jumped on top of Tucker – who was on the ground still – to let him know all about the mistake he’d just made.
Saints beat Roos in dour affair | 00:55
Simpkin then remonstrated with Phillipou before walking behind the young Saint, ripping the GPS out of the pocket in his jumper and throwing it away into the forward pocket.
The umpire saw the incident and paid a 50m penalty against the North Melbourne co-captain, leading to a certain goal for Owens from point-blank range.
“That is 50 … you know what it’s for, you’ve thrown (the GPS) … misconduct,” the umpire was heard saying on the Fox Footy broadcast.
Simpkin was handed a $1500 fine for the incident, but that can be downgraded to $1000 if he opts not to challenge the verdict via written submission and accepts an early plea.
Essendon legend Matthew Lloyd said Simpkin’s act was “undisciplined”.
“I’m not sure why he (Simpkin) is arguing. If you throw anything … it’s a 50,” Lloyd told AFL Media’s The Round So Far.
Senior reporter Damian Barrett added: “He’s just got to be better than that.
“We can see the remonstrating of Jy himself and (Jack) Ziebell and (Liam) Shiels asking the umpire why he did what he did. It’s simple: He had to pay that free kick and the penalty that comes with it.
“As a leader of that footy club, it just has to be better. You saw the scoreline – they were 11 points down having not scored a goal in the first two quarters, they were in the game – and then that sapped the life out of them.”
Barrett joked the Saints should invoice Simpkin if Phillipou’s GPS had been damaged as a result of the throw.
