Essendon coach Brad Scott has hit out at the umpiring department after young star Nate Caddy flattened an umpire during the third quarter of his team’s clash with Gold Coast on Saturday.

In the match at Marvel Stadium (the Suns won by 41 points), Caddy was charging into the forward line as the Bombers attacked and ran straight into field umpire Robert O’Gorman who hit the deck hard.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Nate Caddy collides with umpire.

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On the broadcast, O’Gorman’s mic picked up the sound of the collision as the wind was taken out of him.

The big hit has come after the AFL announced during the week that there was a crackdown on players making contact with umpires.

Under the rule change, any player who makes careless contact with an umpire four or more times in a two-year period faces being sent to the tribunal and a possible ban.

However, ther AFL was more concerned with that contact been made during stoppages, not incidental contact around the field.

The commentators were at first taken aback when they heard the sound of the umpire falling.

But a second glance seemed to suggest Caddy was not at fault.

“Just watch Nate Caddy there ... he was just trying to get down to the contest,” they said while watching the vision.

“The umpire didn’t see him coming and started to move into here.

“So the umpire moved into his path.

“Yeah, I’m not sure that’s Nate Caddy’s fault looking at that first glance, he’s just running to get to the goalsqaure, as he is allowed to do.

“The umpire took two steps into his path.”

Speaking after the match, the Essendon coach laid the blame squarely on the umpire and added that they “refused” to take on his suggestion of getting out of the corridor.

“I’ve lost count the number of times I’ve approached the AFL about moving the umpires out of the corridor. They sprint into the corridor, and they stay there and that’s clearly where we want to get the ball,” Scott said.

“Even when I was at the AFL, I tried to move them down the corridor and they still wouldn’t move out of the corridor. We’ve been at them and at them and at them, to move out of the corridor. And the last response I have from Steve McBurney (head of officiating) was ‘just pretend they’re invisible’.

“Well, he wasn’t invisible, and unfortunately, it actually it took the wind out of Nate Caddy, it took 15 minutes to get him going again. So, you know, whose fault is it? Certainly not Nate Caddy’s.

“Particularly given that we’ve put this on the agenda to move the umpires out of the corridor and they just refused to do it. So I understand the umpire contact around ball ups and that’s a challenge that we’ve got to solve, but, who’s responsible for this? I mean, is it Nate Caddy? Because we lost a player for 15 minutes.

“Not only that, the ARC tells our doctor to go and check on the umpire and assess the umpire. It’s like [shrugs]. And it’s Nate Caddy’s fault? I don’t expect him to have anything to answer for that.”

Before half-time, commentators Sarah Jones and AFL great Jordan Lewis had expressed concern about Matt Rowell and his close contact with the umpire at stoppages.

Rowell is among a batch of AFL players facing a possible suspension if he makes contact with an umpire again.

The Suns’ prime mover has already been fined four times in a two-year span for careless contact with an umpire.

But the commentators were surprised he hadn’t changed his approach during a stoppage.

“He is treading in really dangerous waters here (and) we’ve got a couple of really close calls,” Jones said.

While Lewis said Rowell “clearly didn’t see the memo that’s gone out”.

“I understand where the umpires are coming from, but seriously, (Rowell) cannot set up like that.

“You cannot run the risk of him getting another fine and a potential suspension. So I just can’t believe, after the week that he has had to then set up behind the umpire and run the risk (again).”

Jones asked if the AFL would be less forgiving on Rowell if he did collide with an umpire, given that hadn’t amended his position at a stoppage.

“No doubt whatsoever,” Lewis said.

Meanwhile, Gold Coast “villain” Mac Andrew was in the thick of the action.

Just before half-time, Andrew found himself giving away two goals, helping the Bombers close the gap which was at 10 points.

One of those goals was from a Peter Wright kick that went between Andrew’s legs.

Not long after that, he gave away a free kick to Caddy and gifted the Bombers another goal as rival fans booed the Suns star.

In just his third game, Essendon’s Archer May kicked three goals in the space of five minutes in the third quarter to help keep the Bombers in it.

Caddy also had three goals to his name heading into the final term.

The game was in the balance at the start of the final quarter, but the Suns blew them away in the final term to win, 11.8 (74) to 18.7 (115).

Rowell had been quiet on the possession count but finished the match with a whopping 17 tackes.

Bombers skipper Zach Merrett had a game-high 40 disposals, while Gold Coast big man Ben King was the leading goalkicker with four majors.