There have been 23 instances of players being suspended for dangerous tackles through the first 14 rounds this season, causing uproar among fans and commentators.
The crackdown has targeted tackles that put players in possession of the ball at risk, in particular when their heads hit the ground.
Umpires are often paying free kicks for dangerous tackles and Dew said some players are now trying to draw the whistle by letting opponents take them to ground easily.
"I saw one maybe three or four weeks ago nearly knock themselves out by flopping down to try and draw a free kick," Dew told Fox Footy.
"We're making it really hard both for the tackler and for the umpires because players are no longer fighting the tackle as much as they used to.
"They know that if they do go to ground and it looks semi-dangerous, they're going to get a free kick.
"One unintended consequence of this (crackdown) is players are pretty smart and they'll try and milk free kicks in this way now."
Dew said the new tactic is creating even more confusion for spectators around dangerous tackles.
"We're really aware of what the charter is and the result that we're trying to protect (players from) injuries, however, there's a lot of grey at the moment," he said.
On Monday, Hawthorn captain James Sicily failed in his appeal against a three-match ban for the dangerous tackle that concussed Brisbane Lions star Hugh McCluggage in round 13.
GWS line-breaker Lachie Whitfield accepted his one-match ban for a dangerous tackle on Fremantle's Jordan Clark at the weekend.
Carlton forward Matthew Cottrell is weighing up whether to challenge his one-match suspension for Sunday's dangerous tackle on Gold Coast player Ben Long.
