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Three's a crowd: Removing the third man up is a good call

Expert
22nd December, 2016
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Todd Goldstein is a potential beneficiary of the AFL's latest rule changes (AAP Image/Julian Smith)
Expert
22nd December, 2016
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1262 Reads

Is there anything more exciting than the AFL’s annual rule change extravaganza? The answer is yes. In fact, pretty much everything else on the calendar.

Most footy fans have come to dread the AFL’s yearly tinkering with the rules. But maybe, just maybe, they have started to get it right a little more often in recent times.

After all, the decision to ditch the sub rule this time last year is one I think we’re all very happy with, and increased tightness around the deliberate out of bounds rule, aside from some notable teething issues, was something of a success.

I’m optimistic that this latest set of changes, including most notably the outlawing of a third man up at ruck contests, will prove to be just as good.

Using a third man up essentially allowed teams with average or worse ruckmen to negate the opposition advantage.

Whether the third man is successful or not, having to go up against two bodies instead of one is limiting, especially if one of those opposition bodies manages to put their knee in the right place at the right time.

The ruck is arguably the most physically demanding role in the game and unsurprisingly, many ruckmen suffer careers riddled by injury – take a look at Matthew Leuenberger, Shane Mumford or Matthew Kreuzer’s spotty playing history for example.

Anything that can be done to lessen the physical load placed on a ruckman and allow them to have more influence in the game is a good call, in my view.

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At the end of the day sport should be about letting talent shine, not coming up with new and inventive ways to negate it. Banning the third man up means a more legitimate contest between ruckmen, and a greater advantage to teams who have an elite player in the position – which is exactly how every position on the ground should work, in a perfect world.

Of course, there are those who disagree, and their names will not be unfamiliar to you.

Far be it from me to tell four premierships, a Brownlow and two Norm Smith Medals want to think about the game, but it’s probably not a coincidence that Hawthorn and Geelong are two teams that use the third man up tactic more than most.

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What’s notable in the statistics above is that not a single player from North Melbourne, West Coast or Melbourne appears (although Jordan Lewis of course has since joined the Dees) – unsurprising, given those clubs boast the consensus three best ruckmen in the game.

Mark Blicavs, with more than twice as many third man up hit-outs in 2016 as any other player, is arguably the only real specialist third man up ruck in the league. So what’s he going to do?

Don’t worry Blitz, I’m sure Chris Scott can find a use for a 198cm bloke with your speed and athleticism.

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It will be interesting to see how those clubs who make use of the tactic adapt – stoppages will have to be re-thought, and perhaps those teams with truly elite big men will do just a little better than expected in 2017.

It may also see more of a trend back towards clubs employing dominant Aaron Sandilands-style tap ruckmen, rather than simply looking to find a big midfielder who can make something of contest when the ball is bounced.

The AFL’s other rule change decisions could prove winners, but won’t be without a few headaches.

Clarifying the rule around high tackles is something fans have been crying out for, but I fail to see how changing the wording of the law is likely to make it any easier to enforce.

The simple reality is that high tackle decisions can be very subtle and easy to miss from an umpire’s eye view – until umpires stop being human, they are going to make mistakes, and this is one of the easier ones to make.

The decision to tighten up on deliberate rushed behinds might have a bit more impact, as did the deliberate out of bounds rule this year.

You can expect a few howlers along the way, but on the whole the rule will hopefully lead towards less stoppages and more goals. Who could complain about that?

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