The wise men "On the couch" are sure the AFL will change ruck rules in 2005

[injuryupdate]

During last week's Fox AFL channel 'On the Couch' program, Gerard Healy and Mike Sheahan went off the long-run attacking the AFL hierarchy for not changing the ruck rules in light of recent attention being given to knee posterior cruciate ligament injuries in ruckmen. This was in response to Jamie Charman of the Brisbane Lions suffering this injury in a centre bounce ruck duel the previous weekend. Charman will now be sidelined for the rest of the season. To be fair to the AFL, 2004 has been the first year that this problem has been a headline issue, due mainly to the fact that Beau MacDonald and Michael Gardiner have both been forced to have PCL reconstructions. In the past, the vast majority of players have been able to return to play successfully without surgery. After their strong comments to the AFL administration, both journalists admitted that it would undermine the integrity of the competition if the ruck rules were changed during the middle of the season. Basically these influential commentators were promising the AFL another season of journalistic bucket-tipping in 2005 if the rules aren't changed, which given how much these gentlemen have their finger on the pulse suggests that they will be.

[Grater]

During last week's Fox AFL channel 'On the Couch' program, Gerard Healy and Mike Sheahan went off the long-run attacking the AFL hierarchy for not changing the ruck rules in light of recent attention being given to knee posterior cruciate ligament injuries in ruckmen. This was in response to Jamie Charman of the Brisbane Lions suffering this injury in a centre bounce ruck duel the previous weekend. Charman will now be sidelined for the rest of the season. To be fair to the AFL, 2004 has been the first year that this problem has been a headline issue, due mainly to the fact that Beau MacDonald and Michael Gardiner have both been forced to have PCL reconstructions. In the past, the vast majority of players have been able to return to play successfully without surgery. After their strong comments to the AFL administration, both journalists admitted that it would undermine the integrity of the competition if the ruck rules were changed during the middle of the season. Basically these influential commentators were promising the AFL another season of journalistic bucket-tipping in 2005 if the rules aren't changed, which given how much these gentlemen have their finger on the pulse suggests that they will be.

I agree that ruck rules should be changed and that the bigger circle as used in the Wizard Cup should come in. Not only because of these injuries, but because of other ruckman attacking other ruckman and not looking at the ball. The longer the run up, the harder the hit. Before Jamie suffered this PCL injury, the few games before it, you can see the opposition ruckman never looked at the ball, rather than just try and get him. It's happened to other players aswell and I think because of the PCL factor, the experts are forgetting this factor in which should help change the rules.

Those 2 reasons are why the ruck rules need to be changed accordingly. If the amount of PCL injuries isn't enough to get the rules changed at the end of the season, this reason will be enough to change them.

[Danny]

Ruckmen concerned over rules
By Dwayne Russell
November 14, 2004




Many present AFL ruckmen believe the league could open a new can of worms in its latest attempt to close the old can of worms it let loose in 1980, when the centre-bounce rule was changed and a line put across the circle to encourage ruckmen to run and jump at each other.

The AFL confirmed this week that it would change the ruck rules before the 2005 season, with medical evidence supporting the theory that ruckmen are sustaining knee injuries because they are jumping at each other with knees raised.

"This is the only injury that we have found that has a particular propensity to one player type, in one type of contest," AFL Medical Officers Association president Hugh Seward said. The problem for the AFL and its ruckmen is what to change the rule to, with the league's ruckmen revealing a range of opinions.

Not everyone is as affable as the tallest man to play AFL, Fremantle's Aaron Sandilands, who said he was content to adapt to the game as it evolved.

Bulldog ruckman Luke Darcy echoed the thoughts of many when he said the trouble with changing the rules was that it could make certain types of players obsolete.

Darcy preferred an option where ruckmen could use both jumping and body-positioning tactics. He supported a model proposed by former Essendon champion ruckman Simon Madden at an AFL panel of experts this year.

Under this plan, ruckmen would start outside a large centre circle five metres in diameter with no centre line across it. Port Adelaide ruckman Mathew Primus, known for his use of body position rather than leaping to tap the ball, also encouraged the abolition of the centre line but wanted to have both ruckmen start inside a 10-metre centre circle, to reduce high-velocity impacts.

West Coast Eagle ruckman Michael Gardiner once advocated the centre circle line, but since injuring his posterior cruciate ligament, wants ruckmen to be able to run in from any angle. "Having done a PCL, I've changed my opinion on it," Gardiner said.

Adelaide ruckman Matthew Clarke also admitted that the collision factor was an issue, but said the AFL had contributed to it by allowing shin guards to be used as battering rams. "Before they allowed shin guards, blokes weren't prepared to jump into one another quite as much," he said.

Geelong's new ruckman Brad Ottens acknowledged the AFL's dilemma, concerned by the injury rate but wondering how a rule which could "suit everyone" would be achieved.

If jumping with the knee high is outlawed next year, athletic Demon Jeff White is likely to be affected most, but he was philosophical about the need for a change.

He said while the rule changes were "probably not going to favour my style, that's another challenge I'll have to face".

In contrast, Hawk big man Peter Everitt, who enjoys the combat of traditional ruck contest, said the rule should be left alone.