Thanks Liz. I also found that statement and table but I can�t find the full 2018 Guidelines.
In the 2017 Guidelines (not on AFL website lol) offences are divided into
1. CLASSIFIABLE OFFENCES
2. DIRECT TRIBUNAL OFFENCES
3. FIXED FINANCIAL OFFENCES
Misconduct came into the third category in 2017.
Incidentally in the introduction to those 2017 Guidelines it is said that a change to be introduced in 2017 was that �Selected jumper punches and strikes to the head that have insufficient force to constitute a Low Impact offence will be processed as a fixed financial sanction under Attempt to Strike.� Now that would have made more sense re Mitchell�s strike than calling it misconduct.
But who knows what is what in 2018 as the Guidelines are not readily available. Another example: Higgins getting knocked out has been deemed to be the result of an accidental head clash = no action. Only a few years ago the Guidelines explicitly stated that if a player chooses to bump and it causes a head clash, the player will be held accountable for the outcome. I think it was Fyfe? who received a (contentious) suspension under this ruling. I am not opposed to the apparent change in the way head clashes are judged - but I am not aware that the change has been made explicit.
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