AFL urged to crack down on Hardwick's umpire spray as Sloane says 'set the right example'

Rory Sloane wants the AFL to come down hard on Damien Hardwick after the Gold Coast coach took aim at umpires following Friday night's loss to Geelong.

The former Adelaide captain said public criticism from club officials sets a bad example for junior footy, where umpire numbers are already struggling.

"The AFL have to stamp it out," Sloane told Nine's The Sunday Footy Show. "They need to come down hard on this and make sure they set the right example."

Hardwick was asked about the umpiring after the Suns went down to the Cats. He pointed to two free kicks awarded to Geelong spearhead Jeremy Cameron in the second quarter when the game was still up for grabs.

"I reckon they (the umpires) were waiting for the crowd to do this one [thumb-down] then, all of a sudden, free kick," Hardwick said.

"At the end of the day it is what it is, home-ground advantage, we understand that, we know you're up against it from the start, but a couple of them [free kicks] weren't there."

AFL legend Jason Dunstall called both free kicks "soft". Essendon champion Matthew Lloyd said on Sunday "the umpires were really, really poor" in that game.

Premiership coach Mick Malthouse also piled on, telling ABC listeners on Saturday some decisions were "bloody terrible".

The Cats also kicked goals from dubious free kicks to Patrick Dangerfield in the first quarter and Ollie Wiltshire in the third. Geelong were frustrated too — Ollie Dempsey had a free kick paid against him after marking in the goal square, and Bailey Smith was unlucky not to get a holding-the-ball call against Brownlow Medallist Matt Rowell.

Sloane said Hardwick's comments triggered more media chatter about umpiring standards, which acts as a disincentive for people to take up the whistle.

"The AFL have to look at it. They come down hard on other things. This is one [case where] they certainly need to set the right example for our junior and our community footy," Sloane said.

Hardwick had earlier argued for a change to the last-disposal out-of-bounds lasso rule — a separate gripe — before the umpiring question came up.

Sloane's call puts pressure on the AFL to act. The league has fined coaches for criticising umpires before, but Hardwick's comments have drawn more heat because of the wave of support from other high-profile figures.

The AFL hasn't yet responded to Sloane's comments.