AFL Victoria executive slapped with warning after umpire abuse investigation

A South Gippsland umpire has accused the AFL of double standards for failing to take tough action against a league executive who hurled abuse at him.

South Gippsland umpire Paul Carter has accused the AFL of double standards for failing to take tough action against a league employee who hurled abuse at him.

An AFL Victoria executive has been slapped with an official warning after an investigation into allegations of umpire abuse.

The AFL has this year come down hard on players disrespecting umpires, penalising star players who abuse match officials at the highest level.

But a country umpire and his son who say they were abused by an AFL regional community development executive have called for an apology and a more meaningful response from the AFL.

Paul Carter was umpiring a West Gippsland league match with his 13-year-old son Max when he claims they were subjected to “aggressive, threatening and disrespectable behaviour’’ by community development manager Nic Fogarty.

AFL Victoria community development manager Nic Fogarty.

“He stuffed up, at a time when they are saying they need umpires everywhere,’’ he said.

“He should at least come and apologise to a 13-year-old kid for being out of line.

“What are they doing to protect umpires and keep them in the game?’’

South Gippsland Umpires Association president Mr Carter claims Mr Fogarty, who was attending the game as a parent, yelled: “you’re a disgrace, Carter. I’ll see you after the game.”

AFL Victoria spokesman Nick Hullet said: “The AFL takes any allegations of umpire abuse in our game seriously and will continue to remind all involved in our game that there is no place for umpire abuse.’’

He confirmed Mr Fogarty had been given a warning after an internal review but “AFL Victoria considers the matter closed.’’

“AFL Gippsland in consultation with AFL Victoria undertook a review of the complaint and found no evidence to suggest any person was guilty of umpire abuse as alleged,’’ he said.

“The AFL Victoria employee was found to have verbally addressed the umpire by name on the day and as such has received a warning in that under community football policy, umpires are not to be verbally addressed in this manner.’’

South Gippsland umpire Paul Carter says Mr Fogarty, who was attending the game as a parent, yelled: ‘you’re a disgrace, Carter. I’ll see you after the game’.

Mr Carter said the first he knew that Mr Fogarty had been cautioned was when contacted by the Herald Sun.

“An investigator never reached out to me for my side of the story so I don’t understand how a

conclusion can be made without our input,’’ he said.

Former Gippsland AFL commissioner John White branded the AFL’s response “an insult to all community football umpires”

“The response from the AFL clearly smacks of double standards and a cover up,’’ he said.

“The AFL, at senior management level, have tried to deflect the legitimate concerns raised in Gippsland and clearly have adopted a position of protecting their own.’’

Mr Fogarty was contacted for comment but did not return calls.

Mr Carter was also frustrated the umpire association could not stage its own review.

“This is a true reflection that the umpire dissent publicity campaign is only a facade,’’ he said.

“The reality of this particular matter is that there is a concealment to protect one of the AFL’s own, not the umpire.”