SYDNEY Swans coach Paul Roos has encouraged the AFL to retain its current rulings on deliberate rushed behinds rather than be swayed by their increase this season.

Seven alterations to the current rules have been proposed by the League, with one set to be trialled in the 2009 NAB Cup competition subject to feedback from the 16 clubs.

Hawthorn conceded 11 rushed behinds against Geelong in last month's grand final, while the 2008 game average climbed to 2.4 per side.

"The grand final was an unusual situation," Roos told Thursday's Herald Sun. "I wouldn't be supportive of a massive change.

"Personally I don't think it's as big a blight on the game as some would lead you to believe. You can bring in rules that create problems and what has happened with quicker kick-ins is that there are more rushed behinds.

"Does that mean all of a sudden you have to change a rule to stop another rule?

"We've changed one rule and we might have to change another rule because of it. Let's just be a bit careful we don't go and change the next rule and have to bring another rule in as well," he added, when speaking on SEN on Thursday.

But the season's most scrutinised situation saw Richmond defender Joel Bowden successively return the ball through the posts in the dying stages of his side's four-point win over Essendon in round 16, drawing mixed reactions from the football community.

Alterations tabled by the AFL include a free kick from wherever a ball is rushed, a ball-up at a designated distance from goal, a throw-in from the behind post, disallowing the player who rushed the ball from kicking in, halting a kick-in until the goal umpire's flags are waved, a free kick from where the 50m arc meets the boundary line and a free kick from the behind post.

"One idea I did like is that the guy who rushes the ball can't then kick it out," Roos said.

"A lot of times he rushes it knowing he can bring it straight back in, knowing it is an offensive weapon.

"I am not supportive of throwing it up or giving a free kick or three points, because it just creates more problems."

Roos also expressed his concern on how a rule change could affect the way defenders play the game.

"You can't take away all the defensive mechanisms of the poor defenders, or they'll be the ones copping the spray from the coaches all the time," he said.

"Hands in the back, chopping the arms … traditionally, if you're hemmed into the back pocket, the coach will say, 'don't take any risks and take it through the points'.

"If you take that mechanism away from your defenders as well, then it becomes difficult.

"All of a sudden, you'll have a defender in the back pocket who could generally turn around and take it through, kick it to the middle of the ground, and it's marked by someone in the middle who turns around and kicks a goal.

"From a tactical point of view it's very restrictive. I don't think it's that big a blight on the game that we have to do something dramatic that may change the game significantly."