The Giants have been fined $20,000 for the quarter-time incident involving their football manager Jason McCartney and star Sydney forward Tom Papley, with McCartney accepting he should not have interacted with the opposition player.

The fine will not be included in the Giants’ football department soft cap after McCartney admitted his behaviour was unacceptable and the league found him guilty of conduct unbecoming.

“I’d like to apologise for the part I played in an incident during the quarter-time break of Saturday’s game,” McCartney said in a statement issued by GWS. “My intention was to shepherd some of our younger players to our team huddle.

“However, I understand that I should not have put myself in a position to have any interaction with an opposition player and I unreservedly apologise for my actions.”

The AFL’s general counsel, Stephen Meade, said the league was relieved McCartney’s action didn’t lead to a more serious incident, with Papley continuing to walk towards the change rooms after bumping into the Giants official.

“Jason admitted his conduct on the weekend was unacceptable and that it falls well below what is expected by the AFL and the Giants,” Meade said.

“The AFL took into account and appreciated McCartney’s co-operation and contrition during the investigation.

“Opposition officials and players engaging each other on the field of play is something we don’t want to see, and we are grateful that things didn’t escalate further on Saturday.”