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

AFL umpire Andrew Whetton seems to have sustained a shoulder injury during the clash between Gold Coast and Essendon on Saturday afternoon.

As Whetton focused on the ball positioned on the wing, he had his back turned to Suns star Touk Miller, who was looking to dash past him in pursuit of it.

However, at the last second, the umpire shifted to his right, leading to an unfortunate collision with the midfielder.

Whetton fell to the ground, appearing to be in considerable pain.

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

Despite the incident, Whetton quickly recovered and awarded a free kick for a different infringement shortly after, although he was seen holding his sore shoulder.

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

However, he made a return for the second half, reportedly with strapping tape applied to his shoulder.

Whetton was able to finish the match, although the full severity of the injury is still under review.

The AFL will undoubtedly scrutinise the collision closely, especially as they have intensified efforts to manage player-umpire interactions, which have become more frequent over the past two seasons.

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

A change in the regulations for the 2025 season permits the AFL to refer incidents of umpire contact directly to the tribunal for assessment.

While these incidents typically lead to fines, suspensions are also a possibility.

Miller and the Suns might contend that the contact was unavoidable, as Whetton was facing away from the player and inadvertently moved into his path.

The 30-year-old recorded 26 disposals and netted a goal in Gold Coast’s narrow nine-point victory against Essendon at People’s First Stadium on Saturday afternoon.