Former Adelaide and Geelong forward Josh Jenkins says the ruck nomination rule first introduced for the 2017 AFL season must stay in place to ensure players can’t exploit the whistle.
The league yesterday flagged its intent to crack down on prior opportunity, particularly when players duck as they’re caught in possession, and on players who hold up the game.
Despite ongoing confusion and criticism, the contentious ruck law will remain in place for the 2022 season.
It was introduced after the “third man up” tactic - sending an extra body into the contest - was relentlessly deployed by the Western Bulldogs on their way to the 2016 premiership.
Dogs onballers Marcus Bontempelli, Josh Dunkley and Lin Jong all clocked double figures for hitouts that season, and often nullified opposition rucks even if they didn’t win the tap.
Sydney premiership coach Paul Roos described the response as an “embarrassment to the game,” while former Dogs ruck-forward Luke Darcy said he “hated it from the moment it came in.”
In 2020, analyst Terry Wallace expressed his frustration that the rule saw umpires asked to patronise players at every stoppage.
The former Bulldogs and Richmond coach tweeted: “the ruck nomination rule is honestly like an U10s rule. Embarrassing at a senior professional level.”
Players often pull out of contests fearing a teammate has already nominated, leaving opponents to take the ball out of the ruck and set up scores.
On other occasions, free kicks have been awarded as players go in when a teammate has already nominated, or when midfielders hold onto opponents who have put their hand up.
However Jenkins, who played 149 games and booted 296 goals as a forward-ruck in a career that spanned eleven seasons, believes it’s important to delineate who can go into the contest.
“If nobody is a ruckman, then anyone can be a ruckman, right?” Jenkins asked SEN Breakfast.
“But everyone gets blocked, therefore everyone would deserve a free kick. You have to know who the ruckman is.”
Jenkins, who partnered with Taylor Walker and Charlie Cameron in a potent Crows forward line that went within a game of a premiership, worries an open contest could be exploited.
However, he admitted he had tried to game the new rule when former Adelaide ruckman Sam Jacobs sidled down to take a forward 50 ruck contest.
“I would try to quietly let the umpire know I was the ruckman, and Sam wasn’t,” Jenkins laughed.
“My full back would be leaning on me and bump into me, and I would say ‘hang on, I was the ruckman!’
“I got one free kick out of it… and I missed. It didn’t work much, but it was a good idea.”