RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick has been given a suspended fine of $5000 by the AFL for abusing an emergency umpire.
Hardwick made the comments during the third quarter of Saturday night's game against Essendon at the MCG.
Damien Hardwick.Credit: Sebastian Costanzo
AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson said the league had written to Richmond earlier this week after a report was submitted by the umpires.
He said the league had taken into account this was Hardwick's first offence. The AFL imposed a three-year suspended fine on Hardwick, who made a formal apology.
"Regulations such as these exist because of the need for the AFL competition to set a positive example on conduct towards umpires," Anderson said.
?Former Adelaide forward Brett Burton will replace Fremantle captain Matthew Pavlich on the AFL's laws of the game committee.
Burton, who is the Brisbane Lions' physical performance manager, played 177 games with the Crows between 1999-2010.
AAP