The AFL’s highly contentious ruck change has been thrust into the spotlight with the league forced to admit the umpires got it wrong on Wednesday.
The new rules mean ruckmen are unable to cross the centre line before engaging with their opposition.
The change was made to bring more athletic and jumping rucks back into the game and to move away from strong bodied rucks engaging and dominating proceedings.
On Wednesday Geelong’s Sam De Koning was paid a free kick in the third quarter after Carlton’s Marc Pittonet stepped around his leap and grabbed the ball before looking to launch forward.
As Pittonet went to dispose, umpire Brendan Hosking blew his whistle and awarded a free kick against the Blues big man for “crossing the line” in the centre.
Watch the contentious moment unfold in the video player above
On Thursday however the league reviewed the decision and stated the wrong call was made and it instead should have been play on.
“We think play on is the correct call – not a free kick that was paid,” the AFL said in a statement.
“We think Pittonet only goes over the line at the end of the contest to try and catch the ball. SDK also jumps very early and actually crosses the line just before Pittonet crosses the line to get the ball. We think this is different to the Hawthorn example we looked at last week where Hawthorn’s first movement is to cross the line before the ball is even contested.”
The new rule change has found itself under an intense light since it was introduced and on Wednesday former AFL star Josh Jenkins unloaded over the incident.
“This is comical. And will get worse as we go,” Jenkins wrote on X alongside a video of the moment.
Fox Footy commentator and goalkicking legend Jason Dunstall said the league would need to look at the interpretations of the rule.
“It was De Koning who messed his jump up,” Dunstall said.
“That’s probably one they will look at and go, ‘Maybe that was not the right decision’.”
Melbourne ruckman Max Gawn has been vocal about the rule changes and said after the State of Origin it will force big bull rucks like him to change up their game.
The 34-year-old however said he was excited about the curveball being thrown up late in his career.
“I am excited, I feel like 17 years in I’ve been given a little curveball I didn’t think I was going to get,” he said.
“I am back watching vision (but) it’s been hard watching vision because technically they weren’t doing it last year, so it’s hard to really watch it.
“I think after this community series stuff I will start watching a bit more, then I’ve got my chance to play a community game against Toby (Nankervis) on Friday.
“I have been relatively outspoken, I don’t love the rule but the rule is there so I have to learn how to use it.”
Gawn said he still expects some of the older competitors to test the umpires’ decision making against some of the more athletic big men.
“I love jumping and have always been a jumper, and the last few years I have been getting slightly grumpy that I am not jumping as much anymore,” he said.
“I am excited to jump, I think they’ve gone maybe a tad too far but I have always added jumping to my weights program.
“I have been trying a few different things, I am obviously, potentially, not going to win a jump off between me and Luke Jackson.
“So I have to find a way to get around that, that’s what all of us will be testing at different points, how far we can test the rule.
“I am hoping the AFL didn’t want this, one ruckman completely dominate the rest as the best jumper out there – there’s got to be a tiny bit of ruck craft.
“There’s a few older guys who don’t have the hops anymore: myself, Toby, Jarrod Witts, Reilly O’Brien, we’ve got to find ways to get around it as well as improve our jump.”
He said he isn’t worried about his own game, saying he’ll still have influence around the ground.
“I think I have personally made my game a lot away from the ruck, so I get there’s been a couple of changes,” he said.
“There will be less throw ins, the ball will go quicker and the centre bounce is basically a jump off.
“But I feel like a lot of the impact I have with my team and my game is my marking around the ground.
“The ruck stuff I do take notice of and you don’t want someone like Tom De Koning to get you at centre bounce, so you need to work that out, but I think most people will stick to what they’re normally good at.”