“IF they want the Sydney Swans to win at all costs, then just hand them the trophy now and stop making us play meaningless games.” Immediately after the heavy defeat to the Sydney Swans in the April 23 clash, Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli erupted in anger, accusing the umpires of bias and repeatedly ignoring infringements by the Swans, leaving the Bulldogs at a serious disadvantage throughout the match.

Bontempelli went even further by directly attacking Sydney star Isaac Heeney, claiming that having to face him was “an insult to the spirit of fair play in the AFL,” while mocking Heeney as “someone who only knows how to use dirty tricks to win.”

However, the AFL MRO did not allow the situation to escalate too far. Just hours after the shocking comments, league officials were reportedly said to have issued an official warning to Bontempelli and were considering a heavy sanction for publicly attacking both the umpires and an opposition player after the match.