AFL to query Magpies over umpire talk
No action over ump-bump, but Collingwood has questions to answer over weekend comments on umpiring
League operations manager Adrian Anderson said Collingwood had not made an official complaint about the incident, but had been vocal on the umpiring during and after the game.
"We have no issue with the contact made by either O'Bree or McLaren," he said at AFL House on Monday.
"We do have some concerns, however, about some of the comments that have been made and conduct from the Collingwood football club on the weekend concerning umpiring.
"There were a number of comments that were made over the weekend concerning this incident but I don't want to go into them now.
"We'll be seeking an explanation on Wednesday, but they are of a concern, particularly in circumstances where no complaint has been made."
Anderson said the meeting was arranged before the weekend's game and sought by Collingwood, following a range of incidents that have occurred in recent times.
At quarter time on Friday night, Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse was seen expressing his displeasure towards the umpires on the Channel 7 telecast.
He then went on Melbourne radio on Saturday and confirmed the club would look into the third-quarter incident between McLaren and O'Bree.
"We want to go right through that tape and get it from both angles — the normal one and the behind-the-goals one — and see what took place," he said on SEN.
"We've got to look at that, [whether a player was touched by an umpire]. We'll call it 'alleged', so we don't get ourselves in trouble."
Anderson said the "bad blood" between Collingwood and the umpiring department had simmered over the past few seasons.
"I don't think that's new. I think there's been a number of instances over recent years," he said.
"Collingwood sought a meeting with us and we're glad to have it because we have some real concerns we'd like to raise with them from the weekend."
Anderson said the comments, which came a week after defender Heath Shaw was suspended for a game for making contact with an umpire, were disappointing.
"There are rules in place for good reason; to protect umpires," he said.
"We're concerned because to be able to recruit the best umpires to our game we have to create an environment where there isn't a level of disrespect, abuse, undermining; and that's really at the heart of the rules to protect umpires.
"We'll be seeking an explanation from Collingwood concerning some of their conduct towards umpires on the weekend.