THE AFL Players Association will continue to push for a penalties framework to be introduced for player behavioural incidents like Izak Rankine's homophobic slur, adamant "clear guidelines" are required.

The AFL and players union have had discussions about a code of player behaviour being established so on- and off-field incidents can be adjudicated on with consistency.

Rankine last year received a four-game ban for his homophobic slur against Collingwood's Isaac Quaynor, which followed West Coast's Jack Graham's four-game ban and Sydney's Riak Andrew (five games) earlier in the season. The previous year, Jeremy Finlayson (three games), Wil Powell (five games) and Lance Collard (six games) were also suspended for similar offences.

New Players Association boss James Gallagher told AFL.com.au that he was in favour of a code being brought in, similar to the penalties in place in 2020 for COVID breaches, when he was at the AFLPA as its head of legal.

"There was a commitment to doing a lot of work to explore one in the last CBA, which I've come in and inherited. Personally, I think it would be really helpful for the game," he said.

"During COVID, it was really important there were strict protocols. Governments were going to extend the olive branch to the game, but the expectation was in return that the players lived by really strict protocols.

"One of the things we did around that is we had really clear guidelines of what would happen if you didn't. What that enabled was clarity before an incident happened for everyone to understand if you do go outside the boundaries there will be consequences and it will look like this.

"It enabled the process to run quickly and smoothly between the player, the club and the AFL and we (were) all able to move on. I think when we have behavioural incidents either in the game or outside of the game, they distract us from how good the game is."

Gallagher, who started officially in the role last October, said the players were keen to see a framework developed.

"If we could get to a point where we have that sort of structure, I personally think it would be a fantastic thing for the game providing certainty for everyone, so we'll keep working away at it with the AFL," he said.

"There's a commitment to explore it. That commitment is still there and will continue because we do genuinely believe it'll be good for the game as much as it will be for our members."

Since starting in his new position, the AFLPA has been able to put forward its case to reduce the fines for players, which Gallagher said was a priority for his cohort.

AFL.com.au reported last week under the new rules, financial sanctions have been amended so that higher fines for second, third and subsequent low-level offences will apply only when the same offence is repeated, and increased fines will only apply to offences committed within the same season (rather than across two years) for fixed financial sanctions and low-level offences.

"It's been a high priority since I've come in. Some people might look at it and go, 'It should maybe be lower down the pecking order' but [it's high] for two reasons: because the players care about it, but also I don't think fining players has achieved the outcomes we're looking for," Gallagher said.

"Fines jumped from less than $200,000 a year two years ago to over $600,000 last year (in the men's competition).

"They've taken on board a couple of our suggestions and we had really good dialogue with the AFL football department through the back end of last year. But it's still something we're going to watch closely."