THE TRIBUNAL is likely to go through a two-step process on Tuesday night to determine the sanction for Carlton midfielder Adam Cerra, who has become the first player to face a heftier punishment as part of the League’s crackdown on umpire contact.
Cerra was charged with a fourth offence of making careless contact with an umpire last Thursday night, with the AFL recently informing clubs that four offences over a two-year period would now be referred directly to the Tribunal.
Cerra will be the first of three players to face the AFL Tribunal on Tuesday night, with his case to start at 5pm AEST. Brisbane’s Zac Bailey will then challenge his one-match ban for rough conduct (that case is slated for a 6pm AEST start) while North Melbourne ruck Tristan Xerri will challenge his three-game suspension (slated to start at 7pm AEST).
In Cerra’s case, the Tribunal will first determine whether he intends to plead guilty to the fourth offence, which saw him back into umpire Rob O’Gorman following a contest with Brisbane midfielder Lachie Neale.
If he pleads guilty – or is found guilty – the Tribunal will then enter the second phase of the hearing, which would involve the jury members being shown Cerra’s three previous incidents of making careless contact with an umpire.
The Tribunal would then determine the sanction for Cerra, following recommendations on the punishment from both the AFL and the player’s representatives, based on the four collective incidents, rather than just the fourth incident in isolation.
If Cerra pleads not guilty to the fourth offence, the jury would first need to determine whether the fourth charge is upheld – which would lead to the second phase of the hearing – or thrown out and no further punishment being necessary.
Cerra would not be off the hook then, either. The AFL has confirmed that his charge count won’t reset after Tuesday’s hearing, meaning the Blues midfielder will remain on four offences until two years after his first offence – which was in round eight, 2024 – and would risk another Tribunal visit for a fifth offence and any others beyond that.
The AFL’s chief executive Andrew Dillon said last week it is “very unlikely” that a player will be suspended if they reach the threshold of four or more charges, and instead suggested players will face an increased financial sanction.
Players are currently fined $1000 for a first offence of making careless contact with an umpire with an early guilty plea, $1875 for a second offence and $3125 for a third offence. Further fines are likely to be more significant if referred to the Tribunal.
Carlton will also face a fine of $5000 that is exempt from the soft cap, in addition to Cerra’s individual punishment, if he is found guilty of the fourth offence.
Earlier this month, the AFL informed clubs of its decision to slap heftier punishments for repeat offenders, believing existing penalties were not deterring players following an increase in umpire contact incidents this season.
As of July 1, there had been 63 incidents of players making careless contact with an umpire. Last year, there were just 56 charges of the same offence for the entire season while it only happened 20 times the year prior.
Cerra, Carlton teammate George Hewett, Gold Coast midfielder Matt Rowell and St Kilda pair Hunter Clark and Jack Macrae are the only players in the competition to have been charged with making careless contact with an umpire four times over a two-year span.
However, Cerra is the first to face the Tribunal given the other players’ offences happened before the recent crackdown.
