Early in the third quarter, as Connors manned up on Andrew McQualter, Wenn said to him: “You’re batting out of your league, pal. You’re batting so far out of your league.”
The vision and audio of the incident were broadcast live on Network Ten's coverage of the game.
The AFL’s umpiring department raised the exchange as part of its weekly review of Wenn’s performance.
Wenn subsequently acknowledged that the manner in which he spoke to Connors, including the words he used and his body language, were inappropriate.
“My comments to Daniel and my body language were not in line with how I normally communicate with players,” Wenn said.
“I pride myself on remaining calm and composed, even when involved in the most heated on-field situations.
“I have spoken to Daniel and I acknowledged that I should have handled the situation more appropriately.
“On-field relationships between players and umpires have improved dramatically in recent seasons, and I regret what occurred on Saturday.”
AFL umpires manager Jeff Gieschen said it was the League’s view that umpires should always speak respectfully to players.
“This is totally out of character for Stuart, who is one of our very best communicators and player managers on the field,” Gieschen said.
“I am pleased with the pro-active manner in which he addressed this with Daniel.”
Gieschen also contacted the Tigers to apologise on behalf of the AFL umpiring department.
