{"id":499593,"date":"2026-02-23T21:31:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-23T21:31:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/499593\/"},"modified":"2026-02-23T21:31:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-23T21:31:11","slug":"afl-stars-past-and-present-fire-serious-warning-over-changes-to-ruck-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/499593\/","title":{"rendered":"AFL stars past and present fire serious warning over changes to ruck rules"},"content":{"rendered":"

Eight-time All-Australian Max Gawn fears changes to the AFL\u2019s<\/a> ruck rules could lead to serious knee injuries to the game\u2019s big men.<\/p>\n

Under new rules for 2026, rucks are forbidden from crossing the centre line before engaging with their opponents, while umpires will throw the ball up rather than bouncing it.<\/p>\n

The changes are expected to lead to less wrestling around stoppages with a goal of getting the rucks to jump at the ball.<\/p>\n

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today Arrow<\/a><\/p>\n

But concerns are growing far and wide around the rule.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis throw up (of the ball) is literally one, two, three, get your shin up and grit your teeth and hope your PCL stays intact,\u201d Gawn warned on the AFL\u2019s Captains Day on Monday.<\/p>\n

Another critic of the rule is former Adelaide and Geelong big man Josh Jenkins.<\/p>\n

\"Melbourne'sMelbourne’s Max Gawn says new rule changes could diminish the craft of a ruck and lead to more injuries. Credit: AAP<\/p>\n

\u201cBrowsed a few practice matches, no idea why people think the new centre bounce ruck rule is any good \u2014 or was needed,\u201d Jenkins said on social media.<\/p>\n

\u201cLikely to see more injuries (which is what used to happen). Aesthetics overrated.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just so dang unnecessary … It\u2019s truly bizarre to me. Can usually see the rationale, (but I) can\u2019t here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Former Crows captain Mark Bickley also expressed concern.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are one knee injury away from serious questions being asked of the AFL,\u201d Bickley said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only reason is aesthetics, they don\u2019t like wrestling. It won\u2019t be long before we start to see the ruckman looking at each other and stepping around.\u201d<\/p>\n

Former Crows and Collingwood player Paul Seedsman agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cKnee on knee = PCL \ud83d\udcc8,\u201d he said on social media.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously brought in to open CB\u2019s (centre bounces) up and increase scoring. Massive overcorrection. These things happen when you change half a dozen rules every single year. Didn\u2019t see centre bounce as an area of concern. Love the last touch rule (though),\u201d Seedsman said.<\/p>\n

Gawn said he knew a lot of rucks who stopped jumping because of their knees.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know Toby Nankervis, Darcy Cameron and Marck Pittonet, myself \u2026 we\u2019ve all had PCLs,\u201d Gawn told AAP.<\/p>\n

\u201cFunnily enough, I\u2019ve done five thousand centre bounces in my life and my PCL injury was as a full-forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo I don\u2019t think they\u2019re (going to be) as common as people say, but the PCLs will come under a bit of pressure because it\u2019s literally \u2018one, two, three jump\u2019 from both people.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter watching the (pre-season) games, what\u2019s actually happened is what I didn\u2019t really want.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just literally two players jumping into each other and no real ruck-craft at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gawn also said the changes would make for more predictable contests that favour athletes over footballers.<\/p>\n

While conceding that wrestling at the stoppage was not the best look, Gawn said the AFL was famously a game \u201cthat caters for all shapes and sizes\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we just say we don\u2019t want wrestlers and we only want people who can jump, I feel like that doesn\u2019t cater for all shapes and sizes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Jenkins said Gawn, Tristan Xerri (North Melbourne), Pittonet (Carlton), Reilly O\u2019Brien (Adelaide), Cameron (Collingwood) and Kieren Briggs (GWS) were among the players who were disadvantaged by the rule.<\/p>\n

Richmond captain Nankervis is another ruck who looks like he\u2019s struggling to adapt.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s bizarre,\u201d Jenkins said.<\/p>\n

Gawn said he was glad the AFL was thinking about rucks and thinking about trying to get the best product going forward, but \u201chopefully there\u2019s a bit more tinkering with this exact rule\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid I think it was necessary? I felt like we were self-correcting a little bit at the back-end of the year,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

While he\u2019s unconvinced that the new rules will be good for the game in the long run, Gawn expects ruckmen to adapt quickly, and is enjoying the challenge of finding ways to put his 247 games of ruck experience to good use.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really keen to give it a go. It\u2019s 17 years into my career and now I get to train a new skill.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love jumping and I\u2019ve always loved jumping, but my vertical (leap) is not as good as some other guys, so I\u2019ve got to work out where the ruck-craft comes into it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m training to see if I can come off different angles, and if I can get right up on the line (for centre throw-ups). I\u2019m watching as much vision as I can.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 34-year-old also learned some lessons from Cameron, when the pair faced off in the Victoria v Western Australia state of origin match earlier this month.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs there a world where I can stay down? At different times, Darcy Cameron showed me that you can … he stayed down a couple times.\u201d<\/p>\n

With the Demons set to meet the Saints in Round 1, and a clash against one of the AFL\u2019s premier leapers looming, Gawn won\u2019t have to wait long to put his new tactics to the test.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere will be some teething problems. Lucky enough, I\u2019ve got Tom De Koning Round 1, which means I\u2019m probably going to be jumping.\u201d<\/p>\n

– With AAP<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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