RUCKMEN Max Gawn and Brodie Grundy were among the elite players in the competition last year, but big men are set to be even more important in 2019.

The introduction of the six-six-six rule, which forces teams to set-up with six defenders and six forwards in their respective arcs at centre bounces, will make it much harder for teams to stop midfielders if they win the clearance and break forward.

Previously, if for example Gawn was tapping the football straight to his teammates and they were breaking clear, opposition coaches could place men at the back of the square to block that passage going forward.

But as North Melbourne star Shaun Higgins explained to Melbourne radio station SEN on Monday morning, the game is set to open up.

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"There wasn't anything stopping teams last year from having two or three off the back of the square. That happened at times. We probably didn't highlight it as much. Maybe the AFL were across it because of this rule change," Higgins said.

"You'd drop your winger back or (bring your) half-forward up, but you (now) need your forwards and your defenders inside-50. You've got two wingers outside the square, and then it's just a battle of the midfielders.

"The quality of the ruckman as well is going to be really important because (when) guys like Maxy Gawn were getting on top in centre bounce, you'd protect the centre bounce off the back of the square or the side of the square.

"You're not going to be able to do that anymore."

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Gawn is the reigning AFL Coaches' Association Player of the Year, while Grundy finished fourth and both were named in the Virgin Australia All Australia team.

Higgins' early analysis of the situation is teams could pressure those midfielders bursting from stoppages, but that would force defenders to leave their direct opponent free.

"Once you break that first line of the midfielders, unless you're going to press off even numbers, you haven't got that extra coming off the back of the square," Higgins said.

"There's no protection at all. 

"I mean, coaches are smart (and) there's a lot of coaches and football players these days that will analyse this closely, but it is opening up the attacking side of the game a lot more, and for the players that can break forward from stoppage, it can be really dangerous. 

"Before you know it, you've broken that line and you are inside forward 50."