AFL Umpire Andrew Whetton Dislocated in Nasty Collision with Suns Star Touk Miller; Battles Through to Complete the Match

AFL umpire Andrew Whetton appears to have sustained a shoulder injury during Saturday’s match between Gold Coast and Essendon.

In a pivotal moment, Whetton’s attention was focused on the ball out on the wing, completely unaware of Suns star Touk Miller, who was aiming to sprint past him to reach it.

At the last second, the umpire shifted to his right, resulting in an accidental collision with the midfielder.

Whetton collapsed to the ground, clearly in considerable pain.

“An umpire has gone down! Touk Miller hit him quite hard,” remarked Brisbane legend Alastair Lynch during the broadcast on Fox Footy.

The umpire quickly recovered, awarding a free kick for a different infringement just moments later, although he was still favouring his injured shoulder.

With just 90 seconds remaining in the first half, Whetton made his way towards the boundary and left the field, with Lynch expressing concern that the shoulder might have been dislocated.

Despite this, he returned to the field in the second half, reportedly with tape support on the shoulder.

Whetton was able to continue officiating for the remainder of the match, although it’s yet to be determined how severe the injury is.

The AFL is expected to investigate the collision closely. Over the past two seasons, the league has imposed strict measures to address player-umpire contact, aiming to minimise its prevalence.

Collingwood forward Beau McCreery received a fine of $3,125 for making careless contact with an umpire during Thursday night’s victory over Carlton.

A modification in the rules for the 2025 season empowers the AFL to send incidents involving umpire contact directly to the tribunal for review.

These incidents may result in a fine, but a suspension could also be on the table.

Miller and the Suns are likely to argue that the contact was unintentional, as Whetton had his back to the player and inadvertently moved into his path.

The 30-year-old midfielder contributed significantly in Gold Coast’s nine-point victory over Essendon, recording 26 disposals and scoring a goal at People’s First Stadium.