Chief football writer at The Age Jake Niall has indicated that the AFL will agree to the newly proposed six-six-six starting position formation at centre bounces starting from next season.
Niall reported today in The Age that a meeting will take place tomorrow between the league’s Competition Committee and the AFL before deciding whether to go ahead with the rule change.
It would mean that six players would start inside both the 50 metre arcs, four players around the centre circle and two players stationed outside centre square between the arcs at every centre bounce.
“What I can tell you is that this is something that has got very strong support from the hierarchy and that I believe is a very good chance of being in for next year," he told SEN Afternoons.
“It still has to go through first of all the Competition Committee and that process will begin tomorrow and it also has to go through the AFL Commission, so it can be potentially blocked.
“But the experience of these things is that if the executive of the AFL, led by Steve Hocking, who have done the research and game analysis, they’ve got this game analysis group who are trialling these rules.
“I think the six-six-six as I’ve described it: that is six players in the forward 50 and defensive 50 on each team, the four at the centre bounce and then two players that would be outside the square between the arcs.
“That's for centre-bounces only, I think it’s a very good chance of getting up. It will be pushed along by the AFL and it’s just got to be agreed to those parties.”
The Competition Committee is headed up by Hocking and includes the likes of coaches Brad Scott and Chris Fagan, players Patrick Dangerfield and Steven May and club presidents Eddie McGuire, Peggy O'Neal and Colin Carter.
Listen to Jake Niall's chat on SEN Afternoons with Andy Maher in the player below