Despite the huge presence of social media and his position as an official for a top sports division, one referee thought it was a good idea to dress as Osama Bin Laden

AFL umpire Leigh Haussen has been banned from officiating the opening round of the 2025 season, after he dressed up as terrorist leader Osama bin Laden at an end-of-year umpires event.

The AFL has been engulfed in yet another dress-up scandal with an experienced field umpire suspended for dressing as Osama bin Laden at an officials’ end-of-season function.

An Australian Football League umpire has been banned for the first round of the 2025 season after dressing up as Osama bin Laden in an end-of-season umpires function.

AFL umpire Leigh Haussen has been suspended for round one of the 2025 season following an end-of-season function in which he went dressed as Osama Bin Laden.

MELBOURNE - Australian Rules umpire Leigh Haussen has been banned from officiating in the opening round of next season because he wore an Osama bin Laden costume at a function, the Australian Football League said on Monday.

Umpire Leigh Haussen wore the costume at a field umpires function on the day after the AFL grand final, where the dress-up theme was “characters from the 2000s”.

An AFL umpire says he is ‘sorry’ and ‘never intended to offend anyone’ after being banned for dressing up as Osama bin Laden at an end-of-season function. Leigh Haussen, who has umpired 147 AFL games since 2017,

AFL field umpire Leigh Haussen will not be eligible to officiate the first round of the 2025 AFL season after he dressed as Osama bin Laden at an end of season event.

An AFL umpire has been handed a suspension after admitting to dressing up as notorious terrorist Osama Bin Laden at a grand final week function.

Umpire Leigh Haussen wore the costume at a function the day after the AFL grand final; as the league investigates crowd abuse of an AFLW player.