Wangaratta coach Dean Stone will be unable to coach his side in the first week of the finals series after being suspended by the Ovens and Murray tribunal on Wednesday night.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Stone was handed a five-match penalty, three of which have been suspended for the next 12 months, after being found guilty of the charge of unbecoming conduct against AFL North East Border field umpires’ coach Shane Downie, ruling him out for two weeks.
The incident in question occurred shortly after Wangaratta’s victory over Wodonga at John Flower Oval on July 29.
Magpies’ midfielder Matt Kelly had been reported in the final term and charged with making contact on Wodonga’s Connor Brodie.
Stone, who pleaded not guilty to the charge, said he raised the question with Downie to seek clarification after he saw a red flag waved from the timekeepers box when Kelly was issued a yellow card for the reported incident.
He said he didn’t deliberately target Downie as he had to pass where he was standing to get back to the change rooms.
But he decided he would ask the question about the incident involving Kelly.
“We won the game by 40 points, I just wanted clarity,” Stone said.
After being told to move on by Downie, Stone then raised a second concern about the umpires’ use of headsets to communicate during matches.
Downie, an experienced umpire and former police officer, told the tribunal he felt threatened as Stone approached him and formed a defensive position.
Stone felt Downie was very defensive when asked the question and added there needed to be more clarity between coaches and umpires to continue to improve the game.
He added he was taken aback after saying Stone invited him to discuss the matter further “out the back”.
Downie was adamant about his stance that he doesn’t discuss incidents from games immediately after matches.
It remains unclear as to what Stone’s involvement with the playing group on the next two match days will entail or whether the club will appeal the suspension.
Wangaratta takes on Corowa-Rutherglen in the final round of the home and away season on Saturday, before contesting the qualifying final the following weekend.
Stone had never previously appeared before a tribunal during his football career.