Four senior AFL umpires are considering legal action against Channel 7 personalities Kane Cornes, Dale Thomas and Luke Hodge, following accusations that the officiating group misled the league during the Lachie Schultz concussion controversy.
The fallout from the Round 9 Fremantle-Collingwood clash has intensified after on-air comments made during The Agenda Setters on May 13 suggested the umpires had not been truthful in their reporting of the incident.
The remarks were later promoted online, prompting what Nine's Tom Morris described as an “incensed” reaction from the whistleblowers.
“Being falsely accused goes beyond questioning management”
Simon Meredith, Craig Fleer, Justin Power and Martin Rodger were on duty when Schultz collided with Jordan Clark, leaving him concussed.
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While the AFL initially said the umpires hadn’t seen the downed player, Seven’s broadcast audio showed otherwise, including one umpire remarking, “Got an injured player in the middle. I’m watching. We are OK. We are OK.”
The AFL later clarified that a miscommunication within the umpiring department had led to the confusion, absolving the officials of any wrongdoing. But the reputational damage, it seems, had already been done.
In a statement shared by Morris on Footy Classified, AFL Umpires Association boss Rob Kerr said:
“Being falsely accused of lying and misleading the AFL goes beyond simply questioning the management of the actual incident. Public commentary that casts aspersions on an individual’s integrity and professional competence… harms their personal and professional standing, and it is reasonable to consider how that can be rectified.”
Speaking on Triple M, Thomas confirmed he hadn’t received any legal documents, but acknowledged the situation was serious. “Unfortunately, I can’t give any greater insight to it, but that’s as much as I can say,” he said.
Whether the legal action materialises or not, the umpires’ message is loud and clear: integrity is non-negotiable.