NO COACH yet knows how the AFL's rules are going to impact the sport's direction, North Melbourne's Brad Scott says.
There's now been a fortnight of unofficial practice and JLT Community Series matches, but the general consensus is there won't be a genuine insight into the rules' influence until the season proper.
I don't think any coach has a really clear picture of what it's going to look like - Brad Scott
The AFL introduced nine new rules and interpretations in October, with the aim of creating a more free-flowing and instinctual game.
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Scott and Brisbane's Chris Fagan are the coaches' representatives on the AFL Competition Committee, with a large part of last year's focus being on the state of the game and potential rule changes.
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"I don't think any coach has a really clear picture of what it's going to look like," Scott told SEN radio on Monday morning.
"Everyone is going to have to wait and see how it plays out, but I think the reality is the good players are just going to be more dominant.
"I've heard people say 'We want to pick a faster side' or 'We want to pick a better running side', but the most important thing in AFL footy, in my view, is to get your hands on the ball and win the ball in the contest.
"Those players who are great contested ball winners, but are not necessarily great runners or have genuine speed … they're super valuable with the game being spread out more than it ever has been before."
Scott was almost certainly thinking of his own star onballer Ben Cunnington, who isn't a good runner but boasts the all-time record for contested possessions in a single game, when he made that comment.
The Kangaroos coach is a fan of the new rules, understanding the need to make the sport more aesthetically pleasing.
"If a dominant ruckman's on top in the centre bounces and you've got dominant midfielders, then there are too many weapons in coaches' arsenal to prevent that and it can really blunt what should be a great spectacle of our game," Scott said.
"I don't think there's any better sight or sound in AFL footy than an explosive midfielder bursting out of the centre square in front of a packed MCG. It just lifts the crowd to their feet.
"That would really happen only once or twice a game maximum, and if it did, the opposition coach would make sure it didn't happen again, by putting numbers behind the ball and protecting the centre bounce.
"Now that that's been taken away, I think we're going to see more of that."
Scott also said the restriction on runners' on-field time – they can deliver messages only after goals – meant messaging had to be "more concise".
The AFL has also slashed match-day staff from 30 to 26 this year, including only 12 on the interchange bench.
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"The fans won't notice this (and) it wasn't until I saw the vision on the Competition Committee that (I realised as well)," Scott said of the number of people on the field.
"Let's say a full-forward leads out and takes a mark. Often there are 50 people on the ground.
"It's amazing, because water boys come from everywhere, both runners come on, trainers come on, and if that full-forward misses, they can't get off by the time the full-back is kicking the ball in.
"This is a players' game after all, so the players should be on the field and we should limit the number of people out on the field when the ball's in play."
