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The sweeping concerns over the AFL’s “dying” craft
Jaiden Sciberras • July 8th, 2025 4:01 pm
Is the need for ruck craft dying out?
The development of centre bounce ruck work has seen an almighty shift in recent years, with questions beckoning over the future of the run-and-jump.
Throughout 2025, ruckman have frequently stepped across the centre circle line, transitioning a centre bounce into a stoppage style ball up. Putting body work on early and protecting the drop zone, the tactic works in voiding the run and leap, giving an advantage to the physically dominant ruckman (exemplified by Kieren Briggs below).
The transition has allowed for the dominance of more physical ruckman, while eliminating the need for any momentum in the contest.
Physical ruckmen Reilly O’Brien and Jarrod Witts currently lead the overall hit out count, with Tristan Xerri leading all ruckman in both clearances and centre clearances.
Speaking on AFL360, Essendon coach Brad Scott expressed his concern over the development of ruck contests, expressing his desire for the run-and-jump to return to the game.
“I want to bring back ruck work,” Scott told AFL360 on Monday night.
“We don’t see rucks jumping at centre bounce anymore.
“The ruck rule where you can just come across the line and engage the opposition ruckman… we don’t see ruckman jumping as much.
“The other thing, the sub rule is really hurting ruckman. It’s in the charter of the game that all types, all sizes can play this game.
“I really worry that we’re losing ruck craft.”
Discussing ruck craft and the substitute rule, SEN Breakfast co-hosts Garry Lyon and Tim Watson went head-to-head over the state of ruck contests, with concerns – or lack of – over the dying breed of ruck craft.
Lyon: “They want to get rid of the sub, and it gives you scope to play two ruckmen again.
“I understand that line of thinking for sure.”
Watson: “In the charter of the game, we should be trying to retain every component of our game that we possibly can.
“Making it available to big, small, whatever we can. To this point, we’ve been able to do that.
“I think they just adjust. I’m not worried about the ruck craft dying because there are always adjustments made around rule changes and modifications of rules.
“I think that that’s exactly what we’re seeing at the moment. That shuffle across the line, that changes the way that a ruckman then has to prepare themselves for the craft of rucking.
Lyon: “That’s not craft though, is it?”
Watson: “Yeah, it is.
“If the ruckman is predominantly left or right, they are approaching them from a different angle to try to take away the strength of their opposition ruckman.
“There is still a craft associated with it.”
Lyon: “But they’ve taken away the capacity for ruckman to leap at the ball, which is a good aspect of the game.”
Watson: “That is one of the great aspects of the game IF you get a good centre bounce.”
Lyon: “That was the other thing that is being said, just throw it up!
“Just chuck the ball up and let the two big fellas have a bit of a run and jump at it.”
