CLUBS have told the AFL that there needs to be a more stringent policing of staging with the AFL prepared to look into the matter.

It has been reported in The Age that there is a feeling among the clubs that staging for free kicks occurs in the game and goes unpunished. One recent incident that drew allegations of staging involved North Melbourne's Brady Rawlings.

Players can be reported for obvious staging but such reports are rare. The match review panel, according to The Age, considered charging Rawlings after an incident in the round 13 clash with Essendon where Rawlings fell to the ground dramatically after a legal clash with Angus Monfries.

The concern was raised as the AFL consults clubs on football matters.

"We said that staging was always only for those really obvious examples,'' AFL football operations boss Adrian Anderson told The Age.

''We've got a bit of feedback to the effect that maybe we should be harsher on staging, even where it's not blatant but people accentuate contact and there's a bit of feedback to the effect that we should perhaps be harder on that.

''We've given examples in the past that have been really obvious sort of examples but some of the clubs are saying that they think we could be more strict against staging. So that is something we'll consider.''

Staging became a reportable offence in 2010. No player has been charged with staging though Port Adelaide's Kane Cornes was investigated in 2010 after an incident against Geelong where Cornes fell to the ground after clashing with Corey Enright but the Port Adelaide star escaped without sanction.