I’ve been taunted on the field. It’s about time the AFL stamped that behaviour out

April 9, 2026 — 11:35am

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The AFL is drawing a line in the sand on player behaviour – rightly so.

And for the first time in a long time, it’s being applied consistently.

I’m talking about childish, disrespectful and unsportsmanlike behaviour – such as taunting, teasing, niggling, cheap hits behind play, gut punches, rude gestures, calling opponents names and racist or homophobic language. None of those acts have a place in our game.

This isn’t just about cleaning up footy at the elite level. It’s about recognising a simple truth: what happens on AFL and AFLW grounds doesn’t stay there. It filters down to suburban leagues, junior footy and the next generation of players who copy what they see.

And there’s no bigger reminder of that than this weekend. Gather Round brings more eyes, more families and more kids to games than almost any other moment in the season. The AFL has never had more reach or more responsibility.

Right now, the standard is being reset, with a clear shift from tolerance to accountability.

Take the new taunting rule. Outlawing acts like head-ruffling and humiliating gestures might seem minor on the surface. Some fans might call it an overreaction. It isn’t.

Strip it back: at local footy, if a child is being mocked – ruffled hair, crybaby gestures, public humiliation – does that child enjoy the game? Does he or she come back next week? That’s the reality this rule is addressing.

We’ve already seen it at AFL level. Moments like Patrick Voss ruffling Harrison Petty’s hair in round two and adding a mocking gesture might look harmless to some, but it’s not. It’s disrespectful and it gets copied.

I’ve been on the receiving end, too. In last year’s preliminary final, Eden Zanker hit me late and followed it with a crybaby gesture. In the moment, my instinct was to react. That’s the competitive response the game once allowed.

We’ve seen similar flashpoints, like Sam Darcy and Josh Worrell in round two, where retaliation only escalates the situation and, in Darcy’s case, led to a 100-metre penalty. The new interpretation removes that chain reaction.

Looking back, those moments aren’t really about individuals, they’re about what young players see and absorb. That’s what matters now.

The same shift is happening elsewhere. Gut punches, once treated with fines, are now leading to suspensions.

Samson Ryan (Richmond) and Will Hayward (Carlton) have paid the price, both handed one-match bans after last weekend’s incidents. Even after Carlton challenged Hayward’s case at the tribunal, the AFL’s original penalty was upheld, a sign of how strongly and consistently the league is committed to stamping this behaviour out.

Intentional, off-the-ball strikes are now being properly addressed, and we’re already seeing fewer of them as a result, with Angus Sheldrick (Sydney) also spending time on the sidelines for an off-the-ball flying elbow. That’s an incident that may have been fined, or even overlooked, last year.

Language is under the microscope, too. Izak Rankine and Lance Collard are among those who’ve been suspended for words said on the field, reinforcing that homophobic and racist comments aren’t just poor judgment – they carry real consequences, culturally and within clubs. And it’s not just players. Fans are part of it, too.

Put simply, this is the end of the “boys will be boys” era and that applies across both AFL and AFLW. We are all role models, whether we like it or not, and the expectation is finally being enforced.

One of the biggest changes is the move from fines to suspensions. Fines can be absorbed. Suspensions can’t; you’re letting your team down. Port Adelaide vice captain Zak Butters and Giants skipper Toby Greene are among those who have racked up significant fines, about $50,000, but financial penalties alone don’t always change behaviour.

As the AFL’s executive general manager of football Greg Swann has said, when you penalise it properly, it stops.

It’s also about freeing the game up. By removing the extra noise – cheap shots, retaliation, verbal back-and-forth – we’re asking players to focus on the contest. Because every time something crosses the line, it drags the game away from what it should be.

The best football is hard, fast, and fair. Played in the contest, not around it. That’s not to say the occasional scuffle won’t happen – those who get caught up in one, as I have, will still cop a fine – but the line is now clearer.

It’s about recognising that being an AFL/AFLW player comes with responsibility beyond game day. What’s accepted at the top level becomes normal everywhere else.

For too long, certain behaviours were excused as passion or being in the heat of the moment. But competitiveness and respect aren’t mutually exclusive, and the AFL is finally treating them that way.

Clubs have a role, too. Standards are set at training, and what’s tolerated during the week shows up under pressure at the weekend.

Kids don’t separate elite footy from their own game, they mirror it. The gestures, the language, the way players treat opponents and officials all get replicated. I’ll never forget Jeremy McGovern on his lap of honour, his young son, no older than five, throwing a finger up to the crowd. Some may laugh it off, but it’s a confronting reminder that behaviour doesn’t exist in isolation. Kids mimic adult behaviour.

That’s why moments like Bailey Smith’s “finger salute”, which resulted in multiple fines last year, matter beyond the moment. It’s not just optics, it’s standards.

This isn’t about making footy softer.

It’s about making it better – safer, more respectful, and more aligned with what the game should represent.

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Football should be a place for everyone – families, kids, communities. In many ways, the AFLW has led that cultural shift. Now the broader game is catching up.

Because in the end, protecting the integrity of the sport isn’t just about rules. It’s about standards.

And right now, the AFL is finally raising them.

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AFL off-field behaviour

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