AFL CEO Gill McLachlan says the Match Review Panel carryover points system was abolished to eradicate recent anomalous findings that had left fans scratching their heads.
AFL football operations manager Mark Evans unveiled a new match review panel system on Tuesday, under which all offences will now attract fines or suspensions without reference to demerit points.
Significantly, players will also no longer have to carry the burden of carryover points, which in the past saw some players suspended for offences that on their own would have drawn only a reprimand.
Speaking at Metricon Stadium on Wednesday, McLachlan told reporters the carryover points system introduced by Evans' predecessor Adrian Anderson had not been unfair, but had occasionally baffled fans.
"What it did was create confusion for our supporters," McLachlan said.
"What this is about is trying to have as simple a system as possible and as consistent a system as possible, so that we can get some of the aberrations and things that people didn't seem to think added up out of the system.
"So it's a pragmatic, simple and sensible approach to go forward to deal with the issues that we've had to deal with historically."
Another MRP change will see players deemed ineligible for the Brownlow Medal only if they receive a suspension.
Previously, a player escaping with a reprimand became ineligible if his offence was initially assessed at 100 demerit points or more before he received a discount for an early plea.
Offences will now be graded as either intentional or careless, with the latter category replacing the previous distinction between negligent and reckless conduct.
McLachlan said he was really comfortable with players being ruled out of Brownlow contention for suspensions based on careless conduct.
"If the incident you're involved in, whether it's careless or not, is deemed so significant that you miss a game, that's the right threshold then to be ineligible for the Brownlow," McLachlan said.
The AFL boss said the increased emphasis on fines for minor offences under Evans' new system was designed to have a deterrent effect on players re-offending, but also recognised that some offences did not warrant a suspension.
"I think our players have had a history of being motivated by avoiding the hip pocket being hit," McLachlan said.
"It's also a reflection that increased scrutiny of our game has meant that we think there are players missing games for incidents we don't think are worthy to miss a game and therefore be ineligible for the Brownlow."
McLachlan praised the work Evans had done over the past year trialling the new MRP system and canvassing the football industry for its feedback.
"I think Mark's done an outstanding job. I think [the changes] are pragmatic and sensible," he said.
Meanwhile, McLachlan is hoping that the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal hearing of anti-doping charges against 34 current and past Essendon players will be concluded as soon as possible.
The hearing is due to start on December 15, but the Anti-Doping Tribunal will hold a directions hearing on December 8 to address differences between ASADA and the players' lawyers on what evidence the anti-doping authority has to provide to the players.
Asked whether he was concerned the hearing would drag on well into next year, McLachlan said: "I really don't know how long it's going to take, so it will take what it will take."
"We will run the processes as efficiently as we can, but in the end it has to be done the right way, and so that both sides have the appropriate time and process and platform to present their cases because it's so important."
McLachlan said he had not been advised by the Anti-Doping Tribunal whether an application for the media to be allowed into the hearing had been successful.
