The AFL has made an example of Hawthorn defender Campbell Brown, hammering him with a $15,000 fine for lying to its tribunal.

Half of Brown's fine was suspended for what the AFL said was "misleading the AFL Tribunal and boasting about the fact in a television interview" on Monday.

In a doubly bad day for Hawthorn, the league slapped a $50,000 fine - half of which was also suspended - on the club for illegally video-recording the round 18 game between St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs.

Brown escaped suspension, but instead felt the pain in the hip pocket after admitting to Fox Sports' On The Couch program he lied in a case in May this year involving an eye-gouging charge against West Coast captain Chris Judd.

"He obviously wanted to get off, I wanted him to get off," Brown said.

"I think the way he went about it, he was trying to protect himself. He might not even know that he got me in the eye, but I tried to do the right thing, which I think all players should try and do.

"We don't want to see a player get rubbed out."

The AFL's investigators, Bill Kneebone and Allan Roberts, interviewed the 23-year-old Brown.

The league also accepted a submission from Hawthorn asking the matter be dealt with by the league and not referred back to the tribunal.

But Hawthorn said they were disappointed with the outcome, saying in a statement the club accepted the fine but thought a severe reprimand and a suspended fine would have been a more appropriate penalty.

Having dodged suspension, Brown will be eligible to play in this weekend's match against Port Adelaide at Launceston's Aurora Stadium.

If Brown's case had gone back to the tribunal, the defender could have been slapped with a ban.

In the program, Brown also revealed Judd sent him "a text message saying thanks very much for your help and I replied by saying it was my pleasure".

However, West Coast and Judd have avoided any penalty.

"The AFL investigators are also satisfied the West Coast Eagles Football Club was not complicit in the breach," AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson said in a statement.

Regarding the illegal video recording, Hawthorn chief executive Ian Robson told Southern Cross Radio the footage, taken from behind the goals, was used to help with coaching and scouting.

Anderson said it was a "most serious breach" of the AFL regulations and all clubs were now on notice penalties for these types of offences "would be much higher".

Robson said there was a significant gap in the quality and quantity of coverage available for those purposes.

"We wish to find a way to demonstrate to the broadcasters that that gap can be resolved in a manner that is not detrimental to their commercial rights," Robson said.

The Brown saga sparked debate across the game, particularly about the so-called "player code" regarding giving evidence.

Sydney Swans Brownlow medallist Adam Goodes said he would always tell the truth.

"I think under any circumstance you should be honest going into those sorts of things," Goodes said.

Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade said the revamped tribunal meant the code was not as strong as it used to be and players would now think twice about providing false testimony.

"I think that code, it's maybe been diluted for quite a few years and I think the new system really doesn't depend on the players' evidence as well," Eade said.

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