First sampling of new AFL rules confirms to defenders that the 6-6-6 starting positions puts them under greater pressure

RUCKMEN, forwards and midfielders are taking delight in the new AFL rules ... and defenders are again feeling AFL House is against them, as highlighted by Crows backman Tom Doedee’s review of the rule changes

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ONCE again, AFL defenders are finding torment in the latest batch of rule changes from league headquarters.

Crows rising star defender Tom Doedee has joined new Port Adelaide co-captain and key backman Tom Jonas in noting the new AFL rules - particularly the 6-6-6 “starting positions” - has worked against defenders.

“It is a little bit more difficult (for defenders),” said Doedee on reviewing the first competitive sampling of the new rules from the JLT pre-season Summer Showdown with the Power at Port Pirie on Saturday.

Doedee sampled the ultimate intent of the 6-6-6 system - that locks six forwards against six defenders inside the forward-50 arc at centre bounces - in the last term of the summer derby when Port Adelaide ruckman Patrick Ryder dominated to spark a run of five unanswered goals in six minutes.

The Adelaide defence could not - as in past seasons - call into the back half the “spares” to stand as road blocks to the Power midfielders thriving from Ryder’s hit-outs to advantage.

And the new rule forbidding runners from the field during play also left the Crows defence to work out their own match-ups and counter strategies without uncontrolled guidance from the coach’s box.

“If a team is getting on a run from centre bounce,” said Doedee on SEN1629, “they’re just running out of the middle and bombing it long.

“You can’t put someone deep to help out aerially (as West Coast does with intercept defender Jeremy McGovern) or on the ground (to block space).

“Whether you are an intercept defender or a run-on defender or a one-one-one defender,” added Doedee, “you have to get the job done when it comes to it.

“So there is a little more pressure (on defenders) when your midfield is getting done.

“Hopefully, that will not happen too much throughout the year.”

Adelaide’s midfield is significantly strengthened this year with co-captain Rory Sloane and the hard-edged Brad Crouch being injury free this pre-season. But the pressure builds on experienced ruckman Sam Jacobs to carry a large workload while the Crows continue to develop a second ruck option with Reilly O’Brien.

This theme will be highlighted again on Friday in Canberra where Adelaide’s pre-season campaign ends with the second and last JLT pre-season clash with Greater Western Sydney.

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