Cam Guthrie’s umpire push will be looked at by match review panel

GEELONG’S Cam Guthrie will be scrutinised by the match review panel after he pushed an umpire out of the way to take a mark during the Cats’ loss to Essendon.

CAM Guthrie’s hefty shove on AFL umpire Justin Schmitt in a marking contest will be scrutinised by the match review panel.

Guthrie pushed Schmitt out of the way to mark a kick angled into the corridor, with the umpire stumbling but keeping his feet.

The league automatically assesses all player-umpire contact, with the incident rarely seen on AFL fields in recent years.

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Guthrie could still easily escape penalty given its freakish nature but it will be considered by the panel members.

Guthrie’s eyes were on the ball, with Schmitt in his path and pushed away as he went towards the ball.

Cam Guthire pushes umpire Justin Schmitt during Geelong’s loss to Essendon. Picture: Channel 7

The match review panel can send players straight to the tribunal for intentional contact with umpires in severe cases.

But it could also rule the contact accidental or unavoidable, with Schmitt umpiring on unhurt and unflustered.

Umpire Craig Fleer was not so lucky after leaving the field concussed after a head clash with Melbourne’s Bernie Vince.

Fleer was replaced by an emergency umpire who had officiated in an SANFL game and himself pulled up with cramp.

It saw the Demons-Adelaide game umpired by only two field umpires in its closing stages.

The MRP regularly fines players who run into umpires who are backing out of the stoppage after throwing the ball up.

Tagger Vince was tangled up as he bumped opponent Rory Sloane and was facing away from the stoppage.

As he tried to move back towards the contest he bumped heads with Fleer, who subsequently failed a concussion test.

He will need to pass a test early in the week to train, then be medically assessed again as the week unfolds.

Hawthorn’s Isaac Smith will have a match-day report for striking Brisbane’s Nick Robertson assessed.