Brayden Maynard and Touk Miller fined as Ben Long receives two-game ban

The most severe penalty has been handed to Gold Coast forward Ben Long, who received a two-game ban for rough conduct. Long’s suspension stems from an off-the-ball hit to the ribs of Collingwood’s Brayden Maynard late in the second quarter. The incident, which occurred after a goal by Bailey Humphrey, left Maynard wheezing on the ground and served as the catalyst for an all-in melee that involved players from both sides. The Match Review Officer graded Long’s actions as intentional, involving high impact and body contact.

As the halftime siren sounded, tensions escalated further. Maynard, visibly agitated, charged toward Long to continue their confrontation. In the process of rushing to reach the Suns player, Maynard made physical contact with Umpire Nicholas Brown, placing his hands on the official’s back to move him out of the path. Gold Coast’s Touk Miller, who was trailing Maynard, also made contact with the umpire during the exchange.

The Match Review Officer reviewed the incident and determined that while the contact was not an intentional strike against the umpire, it warranted a charge of "Engaging in Any Other Act of Misconduct." Both Maynard and Miller have been fined $5,000. Under the current league regulations, there is no option to reduce these fines via an early guilty plea, though both players maintain the right to challenge the charges at the tribunal.

In total, 21 players have been charged with melee involvement, with each facing a $1,000 fine. Across all matches played on Saturday, 37 individual charges were laid by the Match Review Officer, with 24 of those stemming specifically from the Collingwood-Gold Coast encounter.

Reflecting on the match, Collingwood coach Craig McRae expressed his dissatisfaction with the off-the-ball hit to Maynard, describing the move as something not desired in the game. Nick Daicos, speaking on the impact of his teammate, identified Maynard as a spiritual leader for the group. Meanwhile, Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick declined to comment on the specific incident involving Long, opting instead to focus on his players' ability to maintain intensity and win the contested ball despite the disruption.

The match concluded with a six-point victory for Collingwood, finishing 15.14 (104) to 15.8 (98). Collingwood remains in a state of assessment regarding other squad members, as veteran Scott Pendlebury, who missed Saturday's game due to a calf injury, remains uncertain for the upcoming match against North Melbourne scheduled for Friday night.

The league has indicated it will make no further comments on the misconduct charges while the matters remain pending. If Maynard or Miller choose to appeal, the cases will proceed to the AFL Tribunal for final resolution.