The AFL's crackdown on off-the-ball punches has failed its first test after the match review panel fined Sydney's Zak Jones for his hit on Hawthorn's Luke Breust.
Just days after AFL football chief Simon Lethlean made it clear players who jumper punched or punched opponents in the stomach would most likely be suspended, Jones was charged with striking Hawthorn's Breust.
Despite the action being exactly the type of practice the AFL wants to stamp out, Jones can accept a $1500 fine with an early guilty plea after his strike to Breust's upper body was deemed low impact by the match review panel.
The AFL decided against implementing new rules to tackle the issue, but instructed the MRP not to give players who intentionally punch opponents the benefit of the doubt.
But the Jones assessment raises fresh doubts about the league's ability to rid the game of off-the-ball punches without drafting new rules or modifying MRP classifications.
Jones wasn't the only player to escape with a fine with no players banned by the MRP in round 10.
Swans defender Heath Grundy can consider himself lucky after he was offered a $1000 fine for his swinging elbow to star Hawk Luke Hodge's head.
North Melbourne's Ryan Clarke caught Carlton's Matthew Wright high with a late bump at Etihad Stadium, but he can accept a fine after the incident was assessed as careless conduct with low impact to the head.
St Kilda's Jack Steven can accept a $1000 fine for striking the Western Bulldogs' Marcus Bontempelli and Collingwood's Taylor Adams and Brisbane's Dayne Beams were fined for wrestling each other.
Hawthorn veteran Shaun Burgoyne was found to have no case to answer despite his tackle on Sydney's Sam Reid leaving the forward concussed.
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