Jy Simpkin Warned by AFL After Social Media Comments on MRO
North Melbourne midfielder Jy Simpkin has been formally warned by the AFL after posting comments on Instagram that were critical of the league’s Match Review Officer (MRO) and recent rule changes. The posts have since been deleted.
"The AFL reinforced that club officials, coaches, and players should not comment on umpiring or tribunal matters."
Simpkin’s remarks were made in support of teammate Paul Curtis, who received a three-match suspension for a tackle on West Coast’s Hamish Davis that left the Eagles player concussed.
In his now-deleted posts, Simpkin drew a comparison between Curtis’s case and a previous incident involving Hawthorn’s Mabior Chol. Chol was not suspended for a tackle that concussed Geelong’s Tom Stewart, a decision that Simpkin questioned in relation to the consistency of the MRO’s rulings.
The AFL spoke to North Melbourne on Wednesday to address the matter, issuing Simpkin a warning rather than a formal sanction. This follows a similar intervention earlier this week, when Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick was also spoken to after making public comments about umpiring.
The league continues to enforce its policy that players, coaches, and club officials avoid public commentary on tribunal decisions and officiating, underlining the importance of maintaining the integrity of the review process.