The 2024 rule change former AFL coach wants scrapped next season

Former AFL coach Rodney Eade believes the AFL should ditch the ruck rule change they brought in at the end of 2023.

For the 2024 season, ruckmen were permitted to use a straight arm block against their opponent in a ruck contest, provided they contested the ball.

This previously was a free kick against, with ruckmen penalised for fending off their opposition.

When asked what rules he would change for the 2025 season, Eade believes this change has diminished proper ruck craft.

“I think it’s taken the art of ruck work out of it and the tallest player wins it,” Eade told SEN’s Sportsday.

“We’ve seen that it has favoured guys like Lloyd Meek and Jordon Sweet and they’ve done well.

“But there’s a bit of a craft with jumping at the right time, how you can position your body and how you can hit it to different areas.

“So, I don’t think it suits Brodie Grundy because he’s shorter and can’t negate the height disadvantage.

“No, I’m not a big fan of (the rule) and perhaps they should’ve waited 12 months before they brought that in.”

Brownlow Medallist Gerard Healy agrees, saying the rule was changed because umpires didn’t like adjudicating it.

“The rationale, we spoke to someone from the AFL last night, the reason it came in was because the umpires didn’t like it – and that’s no reason to change the rule. Stuff the umpires, do what the AFL asks you to do,” Healy added.

“Evidently they didn’t like working out whether it was a straight arm or a bent arm keeping the player away.

“It’s the same with the push in the back rule. There was one umpire who was going to resign if they didn’t change the push in the back rule back to what it was after they had it sorted and 100 per cent right.”

Eade also believes umpires can crack down further on holding the ball and prior opportunity.

“I think they can still be tougher with tackling and with prior opportunity. If you’ve made a move sideways or had one or two seconds, I think they can be tougher,” he said.

“I think they’ve started to throw the ball up quicker, I don’t think they should nominate the ruckmen.

“Just throw it up and if they’re not there, they’re not there and there’s less chance of having packs, and if a third man goes up you pay the free kick anyway.”