The AFL's crackdown on umpire contact from players is set to face its first examination with Carlton's Adam Cerra involved in an incident against Brisbane at Marvel Stadium on Thursday night.
The Blues midfielder bowled over an umpire at a stoppage late in the second quarter, with it being the fourth time he has made contact with an on-field official within the last two years.
In a recent memo to AFL clubs that was made public, the governing body suggested players who are cited for careless umpire contact four or more times in a two-year period will likely be referred directly to the Tribunal.
A decision on whether Cerra will be sent directly to the Tribunal will be made public on Friday afternoon.
MORE: Michael Voss denies Tom De Koning's Carlton situation due to St Kilda move
Carlton coach Michael Voss said the club had addressed it players on the umpire contact crackdown, but revealed he hadn't seen the incident involving Cerra.
“We’ve addressed that as a football club (the crackdown on umpire contact),” Voss said in his post-match press conference.
“The correspondence has been pretty clear coming out from the AFL. Obviously the first thing we do is make sure we have that covered off. It’s been something we’re all really mindful of in the industry. I think every club is spending some time on it.
“When you’re in really high contested areas, it doesn’t always go perfect.
“There’s going to be some error. Unfortunately the mids are the one going to be copping probably the brunt of it the most. We need to be cautious there. I actually haven’t seen the incident. I can actually genuinely say I haven’t seen the incident. I’ll have to go back and have a look at what it looks like.
“When you watch the four umpires, there is a way they move around the ground.
“It’s an invasive game… the ball shifts off the line in a split second.”