RICHMOND coach Damien Hardwick wants more clarification on the AFL's stance on jumper and gut punches, saying he was still uncertain of the League's direction.

Football operations boss Simon Lethlean this week said players would no longer be given the benefit of the doubt by the Match Review Panel when they intentionally struck an opponent.

The AFL did not implement any new rules or change the MRP system, however, with the Panel told to impose stricter interpretations of impact for intentional jumper and gut punches.

"I'm not comfortable, because I'm not quite sure which way we're going at the moment," Hardwick said on Thursday.

"It's probably still the same as far as I'm concerned. There's nothing that's come out that's said … what's happening.

"We're probably still a little bit clouded at this stage. We probably don't address it, to be honest, until we get some clarification about what's happening."

The AFL said it had contacted all club football departments this week to explain the new stance, which was outlined by Lethlean on Tuesday after Ben Cunnington escaped suspension for an intention punch. 

"I do not like the current conduct of so-called gut punches or jumper punches. It is my role to stamp that out," Lethlean told AFL.com.au.

"The MRP has the tools at their disposal to sanction players appropriately. Players and clubs, if they weren't already, are now on notice that we are not going to put up with this sort of conduct."