AFL fine Damien Hardwick for middle-finger salute after umpiring call
Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick has been fined after he gave a middle-finger salute following an umpiring decision, but the club want Fox Footy to foot the bill.
AFL
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The AFL has fined Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick $2000 for his middle-finger salute, with the triple premiership coach asking Fox Footy to foot the bill.
The Herald Sun revealed on Tuesday that the AFL was unimpressed with Hardwick’s conduct and would seek an explanation from the Suns coach.
That response came in the form of a $2000 fine for Hardwick.
He was furious when Jake Stringer was not penalised for unsufficient intent in the final moments of the Gold Coast loss despite his kick being directed towards the boundary line.
It was not officially shown on the game telecast but was only broadcast when Hardwick appeared on Fox Footy’s AFL360 on Monday night.
“You blokes, you’ve killed me with that,” he said as the vision was shown.
The league has already fined stars Bailey Smith and Harley Reid $1000 for their one-fingered salutes this year.
Hardwick’s middle-fingered salute was delivered in the coaches box and caught on cameras after the Suns failed to win a key insufficient intent decision.
The Suns would have won the ball close to full back and could have had a final chance to win the game against Greater Western Sydney.
The AFL is keen for its senior coaches not to criticise umpires and be role models in society at all times.
Hardwick told Fox Footy on Monday night that when Jake Stringer was not penalised he was particularly unhappy.
“I love Nathan Williamson, the umpire that made the decision, but I thought ‘oh, good, we’re going to have one last crack at it’, and then when he called the boundary throw-in, I was like ‘What?! What?!’” he said.
“It was one of those ones, and look, it should have been insufficient intent, we know that. But at the end of the day, the game was dead and buried, so we move on pretty quickly.”
While Hardwick joked about his explanation the league was not impressed because it was clearly directed at an umpire.
Originally published as AFL fine Damien Hardwick for middle-finger salute after umpiring call
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