The AFL has acknowledged that Hawthorn should have faced a harsher penalty for fielding 19 players during their match against Carlton, which they won by 20 points. The incident occurred just before half-time when the Hawks received a 6-6-6 warning—a signal that too many players were on the field prior to a centre bounce. Just as Carlton’s Adam Cerra scored a goal, Hawthorn realised their mistake, prompting winger Harry Morrison to dash back to the bench to rectify the situation.
Despite the miscommunication, the penalty given was not aligned with a “major breach” as it should have been, according to the AFL. A league representative stated that Hawthorn’s error occurred as the team was preparing for the bounce. The AFL later confirmed that the interchange official should have identified this as a significant breach, which would have warranted a free kick and a 50-metre penalty in favour of Carlton.
Hawthorn received a warning regarding their interchange processes following the match. The AFL indicated that the situation should have been escalated at the time of the incident to enforce stricter adherence to the interchange rules.
In a post-match press conference, Hawthorn’s coach, Sam Mitchell, attributed the mix-up to “miscommunication” among the bench staff. He explained that confusion arose when the bench staff believed a player had exited, while in fact, no substitution had been properly executed. Mitchell acknowledged that this lapse contributed to the team receiving multiple 6-6-6 warnings.
He emphasised the need for improvement in organisational matters, particularly around player rotations, to prevent similar errors in the future. Hawthorn’s upcoming match against the GWS Giants is scheduled for Saturday, March 29, and Mitchell expressed hope that such miscommunication would not occur again.
Overall, this incident highlights the pressures of managing player rotations within AFL matches and underscores the importance of clear communication in ensuring compliance with the rules.