AFL 2024: AFL set to modify rules to protect player heads in wake of Brayshaw-Maynard, Butler-Blakey incidents

Premiership Pie Brayden Maynard says he has no issues with the AFL’s possible rule adjustments in the wake of his incident with Demon Angus Brayshaw in the finals series.

Screengrabs of Angus Brayshaw of the Demons is being cleaned up by Brayden Maynard of the Magpies during the qualifying final between Collingwood and Melbourne at the MCG>Fox Sport

Collingwood defender Brayden Maynard admits he will have to “reprogram” his game if the AFL adjusts the rules to outlaw acts like his infamous bump on Melbourne’s Angus Brayshaw.

Maynard still maintains that the incident was a football act given he left his feet in a bid to smother the ball.

Brayshaw was knocked out by the qualifying final hit and Maynard had to survive a marathon tribunal hearing to keep his premiership hopes alive.

The tribunal cleared the Magpie, who played in a winning grand final weeks later.

A rule adjustment that is expected to be rubber stamped by the AFL commission in February would make players more likely to be suspended if they leave their feet and crash into opponents by making the jumping player liable for the contact.

Maynard said he had no qualms with the AFL changing the rules and said he would have to adjust his game quickly to fall in line.

Maynard’s hit on Brayshaw was a flashpoint of the finals series.

“Obviously whatever the AFL wants is something we will have to follow,” he said.

“I feel like it’s obviously the right thing to do because everyone’s health is a priority. For them to bring out that rule (adjustment), obviously all for it and definitely in favour of what it will bring.

“Obviously with the new rules you have to reprogram what you have to do. Yes it is a footy act, but the AFL can make the rules and you just have to follow them.

“It is what it is, we just have to move on and play footy.”

The flag-winning Magpie favourite said his coaches would “get to work” on tweaking player’s instincts, should the rule tweak be pushed through.

“It is a football act but we have to adjust. We have had to adjust to a lot of rules over the years so we will be fine,” Maynard said.

When asked whether he had feared too many aspects of the game were being taken away by rule changes, Maynard said: “that is a bit out of my league, I will leave that to the AFL”.

Maynard reached out to Brayshaw after the season ended and now believes the relationship between the two is amicable.

“I think we are on good terms now, so we move on from that and it will be interesting to see what happens in 2024,” he said.

Brayden Maynard and Jack Viney clash as Angus Brayshaw leaves the field on a stretcher. (Photo by Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

The hard-nut revealed he dealt with “episodes” in his right shoulder throughout the back half of the 2023 season, leading to a post-season reconstruction.

Maynard has been at training but only catching footballs with one hand.

He said he was sure he would be fit for an opening round meeting with GWS Giants on March 9.

The Magpies closed out a remarkable 2023 by putting together a time capsule on Friday and placing it in the club’s museum, to be opened in 2033.

Maynard was coy about what was placed in the steel box but let slip Josh Daicos had put his jumper in there.

AFL RULES SET TO CHANGE IN WAKE OF MAYNARD-BRAYSHAW BUMP

– Jay Clark

The AFL will change its rules so players who lay a high bump on an opponent in the act of smothering will be suspended in response to the controversial Brayden Maynard case last season.

The league has reviewed Maynard’s qualifying final bump on Melbourne’s Angus Brayshaw and deemed that players in similar situations from next season must take “reasonable steps” to avoid contact or lessen the impact.

Maynard was cleared for the bump which knocked out Brayshaw and divided the football world, prompting the league – which was not happy with the outcome – to review the rules and propose a changes to be rubber stamped by the Commission in February.

In a memo to clubs on Thursday, the league said the proposed change would “strengthen the duty of care” owed by players who “elect to leave the ground” in Maynard’s situation to help protect players with the ball such as Brayshaw.

The change means the Maynard bump on Brayshaw will be deemed careless conduct as part of a rough conduct charge unless players are shown to be “adopting a body position that minimises the force of the contact.”

The verdict is likely to be warmly welcomed by clubs as it eliminates some of the grey area which saw Maynard cleared for the bump which ended Brayshaw’s finals series and put his career in doubt due to another heavy concussion in the act of smothering.

It is another strong effort from the league to protect players’ heads in wake of the concussion crisis gripping the league and contact sport across the world following a big change to the way tackles and high bumps were penalised last season.

The league released the recommendations to clubs and the media on Thursday in a bid to be transparent about some of the challenges and biggest tribunal and laws of the game questions facing the game in 2024 under new chief executive Andrew Dillon and football boss Laura Kane.

The Maynard case was one of the most divisive talking points of the season with Maynard telling the Herald Sun he hardly slept and felt sick in the wake of the incident although he was ultimately cleared for the bump.

It is likely clubs will push the AFL to ditch the substitute for next season, and instead call for five players on the bench.

However, the league has not yet formally recommended any change and will likely stick with four on the bench plus a substitute unless the feedback from clubs is compelling.

There may not be clarity on the substitute situation until the Commission meeting in February, weeks from the start of the season on March 7-9 in New South Wales and Queensland.

There will be a harsher penalty for chase down tackles where players’ heads are driven into the ground with force.

The interpretation of chasedown tackles looks set to change. Photo by Phil Hillyard

St Kilda’s Dan Butler was cleared for a chase down tackle on Sydney’s Nick Blakey this year, but similar incidents are set to attract a suspension next year.

It means players tackling from behind will have to show a greater duty of care to lower players in the tackle rather than topple them over headfirst.

Clubs were unhappy about the team selection process last season where players who came on as the sub were listed as omitted when the teams were released.

The AFL on Thursday asked clubs for feedback and their preferred way to announce teams including the possibility of naming the subs one of two days out from the match.

Coaches were vocal about their frustrations about the matter, and will have a strong say on how the teams will be named from next season to help eliminate confusion around the selected 23.