PORT Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley fears for the future of ruckmen if the last possession rule is introduced to the AFL.
Debate has raged around whether the AFL should follow the SANFL's lead and award a free kick against teams who possess the ball last when it goes over the boundary line.
In the first season the rule was brought into the SANFL in 2016, there was a 34.2 per cent reduction in the amount of throw ins, down from 35 to 23 per game.
Stoppages have decreased, while scoring has increased by eight per cent and that has added another two or three centre bounces.
The AFL already made a change to the ruck contest for this year when they eliminated the ‘third-man up’ at stoppages.
Your verdict on the 'last touch' rule
"I think they took third-man up out to help the rucks stay in the game," Hinkley said.
"If we do (introduce the last-touch rule) are we potentially trying to push them out of the game?
"I think the game is pretty good the way it is."
There are on average only five free kicks paid per game under the last possession rule, suggesting the extra reduction in throw-ins is as a result of players wanting to keep the ball in play, or using the centre corridor more often.
SANFL premiership-winning coach Martin Mattner told AFL.com.au he had come around to the new rule.
Mattner guided Sturt to the premiership last year and he said the club's 205cm ruckman – former Adelaide-listed player Jack Osborn – was still effective.
"Everyone was a bit uncertain if it was going to get the desired effect, whether players would be able to adapt to it," Mattner said.
"There's a few flow-on effects, the ball is in play more, but after 12 months it's been quite a positive.
"I think it's been quite a good thing for the SANFL because it's got the desired result when they changed the rules."
Scoring in the SANFL was at an all-time low in the 2015 season, while stoppages were at an all-time high.
The last possession rule was brought in alongside a lower interchange cap of just 60 rotations (in the SANFL teams only have three players on the bench).
"It's fair to say that we weren't supported by the coaching group, they didn't believe the rule changes were necessary," SANFL general manager of football Adam Kelly said.
"As the season progressed we certainly had coaches supporting what had been done.
"From our umpiring department's point of view, that's been a real positive in the relative easy of the decision making."
Players would have no choice but to work harder to keep the ball in play. Picture: AFL Photos
One of those who has come around to the last possession rule is Crows assistant coach, and former Brisbane Lions and Crows ruckman, Matthew Clarke.
"When they brought it into the SANFL, I wasn't a massive fan," Clarke said.
"But to be honest, watching it in the SANFL, it doesn't have a dramatic effect on the game.
"More often than not, a ball that goes out of bounds, only 50 per cent of the time it's a direct possession.
"I'm sure it's something the AFL will look at, so we'll wait and see."
