Adelaide United's Cristiano said he was warned by referee Matthew Breeze during the season about using his elbows when he jumped for the ball.

Cristiano was sent off by Breeze in Saturday night's A-League grand final for a contest in the air that caused Melbourne Victory defender Rodrigo Vargas to bleed from the ear.

It is understood that whenever Breeze refereed an Adelaide match, he would warn Reds coach Aurelio Vidmar and captain Travis Dodd about the use of the Brazilian's elbows.

"Viddie (coach Aurelio Vidmar) and Travis (Dodd) told me all this season after the games (Breeze refereed) about my jumping," Cristiano said.

"Here in Adelaide after every game, they'd phone me and say all the time that the referee (Breeze) had said 'If you're going to jump and put your elbow high I'm going to send you off'.

"I've jumped like that all my life - it was an accident," Cristiano added.

"I don't think it's hurt my reputation, because if you see the video I did nothing. It killed the game and later he sent the Melbourne player off (Allsopp). It was also nothing."