AFL’s rule changes for 2019 season showing early positive signs ahead of start of season proper

We’ve only had a small sample of JLT Series matches but the AFL has been delighted with the feedback it has received from coaches, and the match-play they’ve seen, in response to the nine rule changes for season 2019. Glenn McFarlane explains further.

Todd Goldstein and Callum Wilkie do battle in the ruck during the North Melbourne v St Kilda JLT Series clash. Picture: Michael Klein

It’s only a very small sample of JLT games — and serious coaching stratagems will be kept under wraps until the season proper — but there have been some promising early signs for the AFL’s 2019 rule changes.

AFL football operations manager Steve Hocking was on hand at Werribee on Saturday to see the St Kilda-North Melbourne game, and would have been delighted to hear both coaches give the nine rule changes their stamp of approval.

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By and large, the 6-6-6 starting positions already looks to have had an impact through the middle of the ground, with the Saints kicking four centre break goals and the Kangaroos scoring a few of their own.

The freeing up of space in the middle at centre bounces had a positive impact.

Todd Goldstein and Callum Wilkie do battle in the ruck during the North Melbourne v St Kilda JLT Series clash. Picture: Michael Klein

“There is so much time for quality midfielders to be able to get to work and that is going to present some challenges,” Saints coach Alan Richardson said.

The rules may end up having a modest impact on scoring, but, as Richardson and Scott said after the game, we won’t know for certain until the season proper.

But Richardson was pleased his team had kicked more than 100 points, which he said was not always the case in preseason matches.

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Some players are still coming to terms with the new rules just three weeks out from the home-and-away season.

St Kilda was penalised with a 50m penalty after Seb Ross was caught outside the forward 50m when he shouldn’t have been, with North Melbourne coach Brad Scott calling on umpires to have some leniency early in the season.

AFL football operations boss Steve Hocking. Picture: Getty

“I suspect and hope that if we see one free kick a round out of the starting positions, that will be the average,” Scott said.

“If someone is deliberately trying to slow the game down, (pay a free kick), but I don’t see players doing that.”

Richardson said Ross had simply made a mistake because hadn’t trained much with the forwards this year, with Scott also saying his forwards also needed some reminding that someone has to now start in the goal square at centre bounces.

Both coaches believe clubs are holding back on giving too much away in their response to changes to the kick-in rules, even zones are already looking a bit deeper.

So watch this space …