AFL FOOTBALL operations boss Mark Evans is "almost certain" to take a series of Match Review Panel amendments to the League Commission after his proposed changes were well received by club CEOs.
After a period of consultation and a private trial of an alternative system through 2014, Evans detailed his potential amendments at a two-day conference in Melbourne that wrapped up on Thursday.
League CEO Gillon McLachlan said the changes could see players fined instead of suspended for minor offences next season, with carryover points potentially removed from the system.
"With cameras everywhere and more scrutiny on every game, quite rightly [the MRP] is picking up more and more incidents," McLachlan said on Thursday.
"We want a clean game, but we're looking to get as much consistency as we can.
"I don't think anyone likes seeing people miss games for minor offences and that's potentially been a challenge of the system as it is currently.
"[Any changes] will ultimately be a Commission decision.
"I think it is almost certain that Mark will be putting a series of proposed amendments to the Commission."
Fremantle star Nat Fyfe has enjoyed an outstanding season but he is ineligible to win the Brownlow Medal because he was found guilty of rough conduct when he chose to bump and clashed heads with Gold Coast's Michael Rischitelli in round two.
It is not clear if Fyfe would hypothetically be eligible to win the award under Evans' proposed changes.
Asked how he would feel about Fyfe polling the most votes on Brownlow Medal night, McLachlan said: "There's a lot of scenarios for the Brownlow, I just hope I get most of the names right and we have a worthy winner".
As well as the proposed MRP changes, McLachlan said:
- The AFL was committed to making going to the football more affordable and removing the complications and layers in ticketing.
- The Sunday twilight timeslot would not disappear but “we've got to make sure the right teams in the right markets play in those slots".
- Clubs were told last week what compensation they can expect to receive through equalisation.
- The League is basing its Etihad Stadium roof policy on a fan survey that said more than 60 per cent of supporters wanted the roof open in fine weather.
Equalisation was a hot topic at the two-day conference and McLachlan said the AFL and clubs continued to work through those issues "in the right spirit".
He did, however, seek to clarify claims from Hawthorn president Andrew Newbold that the Hawks would pay almost $3 million in luxury tax over the next two years.
"The numbers talked about in the paper are completely wrong," he said.
"The most Hawthorn are thinking they might be able to pay under their cap is $100,000.
"That's me talking to (CEO Stuart Fox) under his modeling."
