North Melbourne star Shaun Higgins believes we will see higher scoring games in the AFL throughout the 2019 season.
Higgins says the extension of the goal square and the ability to play on immediately from a kick-in will make it easier for teams to penetrate the opposition's defensive framework.
Win an all-expenses-paid trip for 2 to SuperBowl 53 in Atlanta, thanks to Red Energy.
100% the bucket list event of the year!
“I think we will (see higher scoring). I think we’ll see faster scoring as well,” Higgins told SEN Breakfast.
"The kick-ins are one, but clearly already I see at training that is far easier to exit your back-50 and that was probably the hardest part of the game.
“From a kick-in if you could get it outside 50 or create a stoppage outside 50 or at least get it in your front-half, that was a really good result.
“The square, and it is only double the length, but it’s double the width as well. It means that the whole area around that kicker is expanded, and what was a short kick to the pocket can now be a short kick to 40 metres out.
“Once you’ve got it 40 metres out, the ground opens up significantly. So that’s one area that on rebound and transition from your back-half that it’s going to be easier to score.”
The 6-6-6 starting formation from centre bounces will also allow teams to break-down teams with greater ease, according to the Roos veteran.
“The other one with the 6-6-6 from centre bounces is that once you break that first line of the midfielders, you haven’t got that extra coming off the back of the square – there’s no protection at all,” Higgins added.
Essendon great Tim Watson referred to the higher-scoring trends in the NFL as an indicator that the AFL is also heading in that direction.
“The four highest-scoring teams are playing off in the championship games,” Watson said
“I think also the people that control the game, like the administrators of the game, have altered the game because they believe that what people want to see is...attack dominate defence.
“That’s where we’re going with our game too, that’s why we’ve made some modifications to the game.”
Listen to Shaun Higgins’ chat on SEN Breakfast with Tim Watson and Sam Edmund in the player below