Intentional high-impact strikes to the head will incur an automatic three-match suspension under the AFL's reviewed MRO and Tribunal systems from 2019.
Previously intentional high contacts were referred directly to the Tribunal but now players will only be sent if the MRO grade the conduct as severe, such as Andrew Gaff 's strike on Fremantle youngster Andrew Brayshaw in round 20.
The Tribunal suspended the West Coast midfielder for eight-weeks after he left Brayshaw with a season-ending broken jaw.
Andrew Brayshaw left the ground bleeding from the mouth after an incident involving Andrew Gaff.#AFLEaglesFreo pic.twitter.com/ECZgNqiehg
— AFL (@AFL) August 5, 2018
The AFL Commision has also increased the range of offences that will be directly referred to the Tribunal, adding stomping and eye gouging to the existing list.
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The Commission is set to crackdown on striking in 2019 after accepting recommendations from the League's Competition Committee.
Players will now be held liable for injury they incur to an opponent from bumping or causing forceful head clashes. Under the new rule bumps like Ryan Burton’s on Shaun Higgins from Hawthorn and North Melbourne's round five clash would now result in suspension.
Umpires will be able to award more free kicks for prohibited contact and off-the-ball incidents, after 2018 saw an increase in on-field misconduct.
There will also be a clamp down on umpire contact after a series of intentional misconducts towards AFL officials bruised the opening rounds of 2018.
The inconsistency of the punishment was brought into question earlier this year after Ed Curnow, Charlie Curnow and Steven May all successfully reduced charges of ‘intentional’ contact down to ‘careless’ contact with the umpire and were fined $1000. The Tribunal's decision came just one week following Geelong’s Tom Hawkins received a one match suspension from pleading guilty to intentional contact for pushing an umpire.