AFL Players Association to review fairness of Dane Rampe’s $10,000 fine for telling umpire Jacob Mollison he ‘talks like a little girl’

Patrick Dangerfield has weighed in on the $10,000 fine imposed on Sydney defender Dane Rampe as the AFL Players Association examines the fairness of the penalty.

Dane Rampe at Sydney training before he was hit with fines from the AFL. Picture: Phil Hillyard

AFL Players Association president Patrick Dangerfield says the AFL went over the top slapping a $10,000 fine on Sydney’s Dane Rampe for his umpire sledge.

Dangerfield suggested the Players’ union could challenge the verdict after further talks today.

“From an AFL Players’ (Association) perspective we think that’s fairly excessive (fine), given it’s a $10,000 fine with $5000 suspended,” Dangerfield said.

“So, we’re doing some work around that and just how fair that is, and how that sits with the consistency around other fines and rulings we’ve seen over the years.

“I think there’s some work to play out there.”

The league, however, believes the case has been closed on the situation after handing down the $10,000 fine (half suspended) on Tuesday.

A remorseful Rampe was fined $10,000 (half suspended) for telling umpire Jacob Mollison he “talks like a little girl” and $1000 (fully suspended) for scaling the post in the bizarre final moments.

The AFL has been widely panned for supporting the decision by umpires to not penalise Rampe with a free-kick for his goalpost-climbing antics, which would have cost Sydney the win against Essendon.

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By fining Rampe, it could be argued the AFL muddied the waters even further.

The Swans aren’t denying Rampe was in the wrong but are confused how the goalpost climb could be cleared by on-field officials and the match review, yet still result in a penalty five days later.

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Fresh questions might now be asked in light of Rampe’s suspended fine about how the AFL can stick by its stance that the correct decision was made by umpires.

The AFL will argue that by charging Rampe under the category of “behaviour unbecoming”, its penalty is separate to the common-sense judgment call made by umpires on the night.

GWS captain Phil Davis said players always wanted more clarity on decisions but said people had to accept that the game by nature had many “grey” areas of interpretation that officials must wade through.

Dane Rampe, at training on Tuesday, was fined was insulting an umpire and climbing the goalpost last Friday night at the SCG.

St Kilda great Nathan Burke was surprised at the sanction.

“Fined for not giving away a free kick. Think I’ve heard it all now,” he tweeted.

General manager of football operations Steve Hocking said the AFL had received a written explanation and apology from Rampe.

Hocking said Rampe let down himself, the club and the game with his derogatory comments to an umpire.

“As a senior player in our game, and a captain of his football club, Dane is well aware the derogatory nature of his remarks was completely unacceptable,” Hocking said.

Originally published as AFL Players Association to review fairness of Dane Rampe’s $10,000 fine for telling umpire Jacob Mollison he ‘talks like a little girl’