Essendon coach Brad Scott has warned that the AFL could be “breeding the Nic Naitanui type out of the game,” as he renewed calls to scrap the controversial sub rule and rethink how ruckmen are used in the modern era.
Scott, who has long advocated for five interchange players instead of a tactical substitute, believes the combination of ruck rule changes and the sub has made it nearly impossible for clubs to field dual ruck options, and it’s fundamentally changing the DNA of the sport.
“I just wouldn't like to see our game breed out certain types”
“With the ruck rule changes, we're very, very quickly breeding the Nic Naitanui type of ruckman out of our game, because you can't jump at centre bounces anymore,” Scott said on Tuesday.
“I can't think of the last time you genuinely saw two ruckmen jump at each other over the course of a game; they just come across and bully each other.
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“If Nic Naitanui was playing in our game right now, I very much doubt we have the ruck rules that we do. Because what he does so well would just be taken away.”
Scott added that the sub rule is partly to blame, making it “very hard to play two ruckmen”, whereas five players on the bench would allow teams to rethink their structure.
He also namechecked former Freo giant Aaron Sandilands and North Melbourne legend Brent Harvey as examples of vastly different physical profiles who both excelled.
“I just wouldn't like to see our game breed out certain types,” he said. “I have concerns around the rucks at the moment, and the sub and the bench is part of the reason for that.”
Scott welcomed new AFL football performance boss Greg Swann’s intention to speed up the game but remained firm on the need for deeper reform: “I've been really encouraged by Greg's comments… The game's creeping out, it's getting longer and longer.”