COLLINGWOOD, Gold Coast and the Western Bulldogs are all at risk of being hit with fines up to $50,000 by the AFL after more of their players made contact with umpires in recent weeks.

The AFL cracked down on umpire contact last month after a spike in incidents, writing to clubs after round 10 reminding them that if their players transgress five or more times in the same season, they can be hit with a fine up to $50,000 under AFL rules.

At the point of the warning three weeks ago, the Western Bulldogs and Collingwood had registered three incidents of player contact under the Match Review Officer's findings while Gold Coast had two.

However, the Bulldogs and Suns have now had four instances each while Collingwood's Ed Allan is expected to be cited on Monday, putting all three clubs in danger of being fined by the League. Clubs can be fined once they reach five incidents of careless umpire contact in a season.
 
Gold Coast captain Noah Anderson was cited from round 13 for umpire contact, while Allan is also expected to be sanctioned from the King's Birthday game, lifting their clubs' tallies to four incidents this year. The Bulldogs' tally lifted to four after Ed Richards was cited in round 12, while Suns star Matt Rowell was also cited in round 11.

Last month's memo told club bosses that umpires had been directed to pay a free kick against a player if they ignore instruction to move out of their path when retreating a contest, and that free kicks would continue to be paid for careless contact with an umpire at a centre throw up.

The umpires association had spoken with the AFL about the rise of contact between players and umpires, which saw the warning given to clubs about the possibility of a significant fine.

"The AFL Regulations were amended to include an ability to impose a sanction on the club on each occasion where the club's players are charged with the reportable offence of careless contact with an umpire more than four times in the same season, with a sanction of up to 50 units ($50,000); and the AFL Regulations and the Tribunal Guidelines were amended to provide that where a player is charged with Careless Contact with an Umpire for the fourth (or subsequent) time in the same season, the prescribed penalty will be a suspension of one match," the AFL memo read.

Carlton has opted to this week challenge sanctions for umpire contact handed to midfield pair Patrick Cripps and George Hewett from Sunday night's win over Essendon, with the outcome to be communicated next week. The Blues are yet to receive an umpire contact fine so far this season.