THE AFL will look at a new system where it could send incidents straight to the tribunal if the points system is deemed to have produced an unacceptable result.

AFL football boss Mark Evans last night said a review at the end of the season would determine if a mechanism could be introduced if the match review panel's points system had produced either an excessive or inadequate penalty.



"I'd like to explore how we could directly refer to the tribunal more," Evans said.



Evans admitted he believed the match review panel could have misjudged Crow Shaun McKernan's hit on Eagle Brad Sheppard, which was adjudicated as reckless - not intentional - which meant McKernan received a two-week penalty with an early plea.



A change of laws would see the tribunal decide the penalty if, after the points were totalled, there was a belief it was manifestly light.



Scott joins critics of match review system



The review would also looking at clarifying the points system when it involves carryover points, good and bad records and early pleas.



"I would like to find a way to simplify the grading," Evans said.



He argued people looked at the outcome rather than the process, and that improved communication could help understanding.



The football world was largely shocked by the McKernan penalty, led by the Scott brothers, who this week joined forces to condemn aspects of the match review panel process.



North Melbourne coach Brad Scott yesterday said McKernan's ban - for elbowing Sheppard to the face - was far too lenient.















































Scott's gripe also included the use of carryover points, which had clearly affected the length of suspensions of his robust midfielder Jack Ziebell. He said he expected Evans to make changes.



"Mark Evans has made it fairly clear that there needs to be changes to the match review panel, whether they be subtle or otherwise," Scott said.



'"Jack Ziebell got a three-week suspension for his incident and Shaun McKernan got two.



"I know you can talk about loadings and all these things ... but it's just not right.



"It's not right that we're losing players for two weeks for a pretty serious incident, and Lindsay Thomas, he should have got a week for stupidity (for his headbutt on Giant Jacob Townsend) but he got two (because of) his loading.



"Mark Evans is well aware of that and I think there'll be some changes at the end of the year. How sweeping I'm not sure but it's clear there needs to be some change."



On Monday, Geelong's Chris Scott said: "I think the system's flawed ... clearly. For that to be worth two weeks ... I think everyone in the world would say, well, that just doesn't smell right."



Evan said every match was reviewed in its entirety by at least one member of the match review panel.