It's a scary day to be an AFL club committing millions of dollars to ruckmen. But with proposed rule changes set to potentially come into effect as soon as next season, the role of ruckmen could change vastly over the coming years.
Rucks will have fewer contests to attend per game next year, with a proposed overhaul of the insufficient intent rule essentially reworking it into last disposal in between the arcs.
This means if a player disposes (either handballs or kicks) the ball and it crosses the boundary line (irrespective of whether it's on the full or not) in between both 50-metre arcs, possession will be rewarded to the opposition as a free kick.
As such, boundary throw-ins will occur far less often in between the arcs, expected to reduce the length of quarters from siren to siren, and the workload of ruckmen.
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"I was wondering whether the clubs would've had line of sight, because this... will reduce the number of stoppages we have," Nick Riewoldt said of the changes on The Agenda Setters.
With the reliance on ruckmen set to decline, the focus will soon shift to how it impacts list management decisions.
St Kilda are set to bring Tom De Koning to RSEA Park as a free agent in the off-season, with the hopes of pairing him alongside Rowan Marshall as a double ruck duo.
But with there being less work for ruckmen to do, will the Saints now look to see if they can cash in on Marshall, and trade him to a team in need of a number one ruck?
Geelong have already been reported to be heavily interested in the 29-year-old, and while the Saints have maintained that he won't be dealt, could the rule changes facilitate a change of heart?
On the other hand, in a win for the two-ruck model, the sub rule is also set to cease at the end of the season, meaning teams will have five active players on its interchange bench for the entire game.
Pundits have theorised that this could make playing two ruckmen more viable, as it essentially adds an additional player to the lineup.
Rule changes will still need to be approved by the AFL commission later this month.