THE AFL has appointed recently retired Richmond and Adelaide half-forward Chris Knights to its Match Review Panel in one of two changes for 2016.
Essendon premiership player Jason Johnson has also joined the panel, with the pair replacing Luke Ball and Brad Sewell, who have each stepped down after one season.
Collingwood premiership player Michael Christian and former Saint Nathan Burke will remain on the panel.
The new panel members got their first taste of their responsibilities at the MRP's first sitting on Monday, which resulted in the offer of a one-match ban for Fremantle ruckman Aaron Sandilands.
"Chris is able to bring current playing experience to the panel’s deliberations, after being with Richmond last year, while Jason was an outstanding player for Essendon in their team which produced the best single season in VFL/AFL history with a 24-1 record in 2000," football operations manager Mark Evans said.
Sewell has stepped down because of his expanded duties with youth homelessness charity Ladder and his travel commitments through the upcoming season.
Ball, meanwhile, will remain with the AFL within the football operations department.
Knights, 29, retired at the end of last season after 102 games with Adelaide and Richmond, having battled a long run of soft tissue and knee injuries.
Johnson, 38, was a premiership player with the Bombers in 2000 and played 184 games for Essendon between 1997-2008.
The pair joins the MRP in the second year of its revamped format, which was changed ahead of the 2015 season to simplify the process for fans and stakeholders.
Three of the four MRP members rule on incidents weekly, with the panel's make-up alternating through the season.
A player's innocence or guilt is decided on a majority 3-0 or 2-1 ruling.
Former Bomber Jason Johnson has joined the MRP for 2016. Picture: AFL Media
