The AFL says a man has been arrested and charged for allegedly making a series of harassing phone calls to an AFL umpire.

The league thanked Victoria Police for taking action on the matter.

“The safety and welfare of everyone in the game; on the field, off the field, and online remains our priority and we thank Victoria Police for their work to identify and charge the offender,” the AFL’s footy operations boss, Steve Hocking, said.

“There is absolutely no excuse to threaten or abuse someone. It has no place at any level of our game or our society.

“This abuse affects our umpires, our players, and our staff. It is never OK and we’re not going to accept it.”