Melbourne champion Garry Lyon believes the anti-density rule featured in the Under 18’s Championship should be introduced into the AFL next season.
Lyon watched the contest between Vic Metro and Vic Country at the MCG on Sunday and said the rule provided space on the ground, ultimately removing congestion.
“It worked so naturally,” he told SEN Breakfast.
“My understanding of it before I watched it in place was ‘I don’t know about this’.”
But after seeing the rule in place, Lyon said it would be simple for the players to adapt.
“So if you’ve got a ball up in your forward pocket … as soon as the whistle is blown the two closest blokes just automatically turn around and jog back inside 50,” he said.
“They just did it as a matter of course.
“There was no issue, there was no holding up the play that I saw, and it left space.”
Lyon said the rule change could significantly change the way clubs approach a game, thus the AFL must come to a verdict prior to the draft.
“The AFL have got a decision to make clearly, we think they’re heading that way,” he said.
“The decision needs to be made quickly because what I saw … there is no question it would change the way you went about assembling your list of players to recruit.”
With more space around the field, Lyon believes key forwards will become much more damaging within the game.
“Ben Brown will kick 100 goals if this comes in,” he said.
Lyon also added that the rule will make 202cm draft prospect Ben King much more valuable to potential suitors.
“He at one stage came running out of full forward with all the space, marked it and then slotted it from 55 (metres),” he said.
“His stocks are already high, but they may go even higher given all this anti-density stuff if it comes in.”
With plenty of theories being raised recently and zoning trials taking place, Lyon thinks this anti-density rule could be the best option for the league.
Listen to the best bits of this morning's edition of SEN Breakfast with Garry Lyon and Tim Watson in the player below