AFL General Manager Football Operations Mark Evans today said the North Melbourne Football Club had received a sanction of $50,000 for comments regarding the umpires following last week’s Round 13 match against Hawthorn at Etihad Stadium.

Evans said the AFL had also taken action against senior coach Brad Scott, and he  had received a sanction of $30,000 for the comments he made on behalf of the club at the post-match media conference at the conclusion of the game.

Mr Evans said the AFL had written to North Melbourne yesterday, under AFL Rule 2.3, and had then met with club officials earlier today.

Mr Evans said the AFL had taken into account the apology and retraction from the club on Saturday morning, following an AFL investigation of the MatchCom recordings of the umpires’ interaction with the players during the game, along with the personal formal apology and retraction from the North Melbourne coach yesterday.

"The comments by Brad Scott, on behalf of the club in his position as senior coach, were extremely serious in regard to the conduct and professionalism of the umpires and how they officiate all players equally across the competition,” Mr Evans said.

“It was totally inappropriate for any doubt to be cast over their professionalism in a public environment without having detailed the facts of what had occurred in any player / umpire conversations through the course of the match. 

“The Umpiring Department and the AFL were appreciative that the club moved quickly to retract and apologise for the statements made, but this was a very significant breach of the AFL Player Rules,’ he said.