SUPPORTERS have spoken on one of the most divisive issues in the game, and the AFL says it hears fans loud and clear.
A whopping 93 per cent of fans voting in the 2018 fan survey say they want to keep the bump. It's a result that gives Match Review Officer Michael Christian support as he works to keep the hip-and-shoulder alive.
"The bump is a part of our game, provided that any bump doesn't make forceful contact to the head," an AFL spokesperson said in response to fans' emphatic vote.
"Players can bump if contact is body to body, but any contact to the head, where a player has other options available to him/her, has been prohibited under the rules for some years now."
More than 48,000 supporters had their say in this year's fan survey, conducted for AFL.com.au and the AFL Record.
Fans would like more visibility over a match review process that 44 per cent say has not been improved by 2018's changes, which include Christian replacing last year's Match Review Panel.
Almost half of fans say they would watch a televised Tribunal hearing involving their club, and a further quarter would watch a hearing regardless of the player involved.
Cameras are currently not allowed inside the Tribunal, though reporters can provide live updates, and the AFL said that's unlikely to change in the coming years.
"There has not been any recent discussion of televising Tribunal hearings, for a number of reasons," the AFL spokesperson said.
"It is not certain there will be a hearing most weeks, as it's dependent on whether a charged players chooses to contest. It is also uncertain how long some hearings may last [they range from 30 minutes in some cases to several hours], and also the fact that hearings with lower-level players don't draw the same interest as a hearing involving a star player.
"It has not been a recent discussion point."
Two of this year's more controversial Tribunal cases centred on incidents involving Hawthorn defender Ryan Burton and West Coast ruckman Nic Naitanui.
BACKING THE BUMP Burton cleared as AFL commits to review
DUMBFOUNDED Nic Nat's tackle ban upheld
Burton was not suspended after he collided with North Melbourne midfielder Shaun Higgins in round five, leaving the star Roo concussed.
Over 40 per cent of fans say the Burton decision was correct, while a third say it was wrong.
Naitanui's case drew a more emphatic response.
Three-quarters of fans say the electrifying Eagle should not have copped his one-week suspension for his tackle on Port Adelaide's Karl Amon, while less than a fifth are in favour of the decision.
The quality of the footy on display is a perennial topic that has again been debated this year. Asked to rate the standard and style of the game, fans' average rating was 6.8 out of 10.
None of four hypothetical rule changes, ranging from a tighter interchange cap to zones for forwards and backs, attracted significant support.
Premiership coach Damien Hardwick has been one of the most vocal critics of the score review system, calling it slow and "an embarrassment", and a majority of fans agree the system isn't working.
Support for the centre bounce remains strong, up four percentage points from last year's survey to 76 per cent this year.
More from the 2018 Fan Survey
WEST IS BEST WA dominates as fans name footy's MVPs
DEAD HEAT Fans say the flag race is neck and neck
FREE AGENTS Who's flying the coop, who's staying put?
