DESPITE a minimal increase in rushed behinds this year, the chorus agitating for an immediate change to the rule continues to grow.

Rushed behinds rose in the 2008 season to an average of 2.4 per game, up from 2.0 in 2007.

In October, the AFL floated a raft of ideas for dealing with the issue. These included awarding three points – something trialled in NAB AFL Cup games – along with a free shot to the opposition from 50m, a throw-in from the behind post and a free shot from the behind post.

Talk about rushed behinds began after Richmond defender Joel Bowden twice walked the ball through from the goal square when kicking in after a behind, and then flowered after Hawthorn's record-equalling 11 behinds in their upset win against Geelong in the Toyota AFL Grand Final.

Former Brisbane Lions coach Leigh Mathews is the latest to join the party, calling for an immediate change with no trial – saying the current penalty wasn't harsh enough.

"I always encouraged my guys that if they were anywhere under pressure on the defensive line, don't be afraid to concede the behind," he told Thursday's Herald Sun. "Because a one-point penalty is not a big penalty and you get the ball back.

"So I think making it a greater penalty is warranted.

"And if we bounce the ball 25m out, people will really start having second thoughts about doing it."

But the decision about when to pay the 'deliberate' rushed behind is likely to be haunted by the same controversy currently attached to the 'deliberate' out-of-bounds rule.

"It's exactly the same interpretation. If you deliberately knock the ball out of bounds you get penalised. But you can knock it out without being penalised, because the umpire makes the judgment," Matthews said.

"In other words, if you contest a mark near the boundary line and you knock the ball out of bounds, you wouldn't be penalised for deliberate.

"It's got to be blatant."