Reprimands or, possibly, suspensions are expected today after an investigation into the scenes that followed last Friday's first International Rules Test in Melbourne. The decision of the tribunal will be announced when the travelling party has arrived in Adelaide ahead of the second Test in four days' time.

There has been considerable controversy over the weekend concerning the incidents in which Irish players and officials upbraided Australian umpire Brett Allen at the end of the match. Contention centred on the late line-ball awarded to Australia. It was taken after the full-time siren had sounded - as is provided for in the rules - but without the field having been cleared of celebrating members of the Irish party. In the general mayhem, a behind, worth a single point, was scored.

According to one newspaper report, Ireland manager Brian McEniff was alleged to have pushed the official and called him a cheat. McEniff strenuously denies this and inasmuch as any physical interference with Allen took place, it is accepted that McEniff was not to blame although he acknowledges that he did exchange words with the official.

"The ball crossed the line for a sideline kick," said McEniff, "I'm presuming before the siren went. At that moment I myself entered the pitch with many others to celebrate our victory. Next thing the sideline kick was taken and luckily enough clipped the post for a one-pointer but could have gone in (to the net).

"There was obviously no pressure put on the player taking the kick. So I went up to the umpire as they refer to the referee over here to question the decision. I was very irate, naturally enough, because I felt the game should not have proceeded with so many people on the pitch.

"I didn't get within two yards of him. It's alleged in some of the papers here that I pushed him. I didn't touch the referee nor did I refer to him as the papers alleged again as a cheat. It's a word I don't use."

The Ireland manager's intervention was not captured on video although other remonstrations with the match official can be clearly seen - including a lengthy harangue from Sligo's Eamonn O'Hara.

In the aftermath of these scenes, Ireland captain Anthony Tohill was damning when asked had he a comment on the officials' performance. "No. That's all I want to say on it. I think it was fairly evident.Certainly the impartiality of one of the umpires would need to be looked at. That's all I'm going to say."

Reaction from the Australians has been swift and critical. Gerard Healy, chairman of selectors, said on Radio 3AW that McEniff and Tohill needed to be educated on the rules of the international game and that he was disappointed with their reaction.

Other responses were angrier. Rob Anderson, chief executive of the AFL Umpires Association, was quoted in the Sunday Herald Sun: "To imply that any umpire is a cheat is a disgrace and the integrity of an umpire should not be questioned."

McEniff yesterday accepted that Allen had been subjected to abusive language and that action was going to be taken.

"There's going to be an enquiry. I didn't see anyone push the referee. It's alleged someone did push him alright. He got verbals, there's no point in saying he didn't because the players were incensed. I'm sorry about that incident but I didn't call him a cheat or anything like that."

The Ireland manager also appeared to distance himself from Tohill's criticism of the umpire.

"We understood the game was over. The captain said he had problems with the partiality of the umpire, which was - I won't say his right but that was an issue that was asked by the press and he answered it. Maybe he could have said 'no comment'. Maybe it would have been the better answer.

"By and large I would have to say that I didn't refer to any incident during the game and was by and large happy enough with the official. There were a few marginal decisions that went their way but I was happy with the game and happy with the way the Australians played the game. So it was nothing to do with the actual game itself. It was just this one sideline kick that caused the tension."

The tribunal, which deals with disciplinary matters, will this morning consider a report on the matter from AFL investigator Rick Lewis. The disciplinary body comprises three members, two from the home organisation, the AFL - Andrew Demetriou and Kevin Sheahan - and one from the GAA, Pat Daly.

McEniff expressed disappointment with some individual displays and said he would look again at the claims of players left out of the final panel of 23 last Friday.

"The four boys who didn't play the other night will be very much in there battling for places. There were some off-colour performances, some performances I would have been less than satisfied with from the point of view of commitment to the ball - that's as gentle as I can put it."

He expressed concern at the difficulties encountered by a couple of players who had carried fitness doubts up to the last minute before Friday's match.

"Judging on Niall Buckley's performance you'd wonder whether we were right to tog him or not. He didn't seem to perform up to date. Neither did Seβn ╙g de Paor who had a calf strain. Dermot McCabe (who missed out with an ankle injury) we'll be having a look at.

"Seβn Marty (Lockhart) got a cut over his eye. There was some speculation that he was slightly concussed. He wasn't concussed - otherwise he wouldn't have been let back on."