THE 30-SECOND shot clock will again be displayed on scoreboards for the complete quarter.  

The countdown clock had previously been dropped for the final two minutes of each term, after the AFL reacted to North Melbourne forward Mason Wood's icing of the clock last year.  

Now, after consultation with coaches during Tuesday night's informal dinner at AFL chief Gillon McLachlan's house, the League has backflipped.  

The turnaround comes in reaction to last Saturday night's incident involving North's Shaun Higgins, who was called to play on in controversial circumstances.  

The Roo was awarded a free kick but was called to play on from one field umpire, and was then tackled by Bulldogs opponent Jake Stringer, who chased the star midfielder down as he began his run-up.  

In a statement released on Thursday, the AFL said it had changed its position to have more consistency for players lining up for goal and for umpires officiating the rule.  

AFL football operations manager Simon Lethlean confirmed umpires will have the power to call 'play on' if a player is clearly seeking to delay the resumption of play by running the clock down.

Mason Wood watches the clock during a match against the Saints in 2016. Picture: AFL Photos