HAMPDEN and Warrnambool and District league coaches are unsure if Australian football's new stand-on-the-mark rule will result in more free-flowing football and forward dominance.
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The rule, introduced at AFL level in a bid to spark faster ball movement and scoring, disallows players standing on the mark from moving laterally, forwards or backwards after an umpire has called "stand".
It has filtered through to community football and is now expected to be enforced in all Victorian leagues.
While the average score at the elite level has risen just two points from 2019 - the lowest-scoring in 52 seasons - the rule has been largely deemed a success.
The leading forward craft - which was considered a dying art prior to the rule's introduction - has seen a resurgence and more rapid ball movement appears to be back in vogue after an industry shift to a more stoppage-based game.
We've trained for it and certainly feel that it opens up avenues for forwards to lead-up and present a bit easier as players aren't necessarily guarding the corridor
- Brayden Harkness
But North Warrnambool Eagles coach Adam Dowie isn't yet convinced the rule will have the same impact at community level.
He said while it had been "a great rule for the AFL" it wasn't yet clear of its effects in the country.
While forwards in both the Warrnambool and District and Hampden leagues have enjoyed success in the opening two rounds, Dowie felt other factors were at play.
"I think at that level it's changed the game quite a bit," Dowie said.
"At this level it might tell you the competition is maybe a little bit more uneven this season.
"I think some teams are better at it than others at this stage and have practiced it a bit more than others. We probably haven't (put too much time into it)."
Dowie hoped coaches at the elite level embraced the rule and didn't try to exploit the tweak and ruin its effectiveness.
Nirranda mentor Brayden Harkness said the inclement weather of the first two rounds meant it had been difficult to assess its impact.
"We've trained for it and certainly feel that it opens up avenues for forwards to lead-up and present a bit easier as players aren't necessarily guarding the corridor," Harkness said.
"But after the first two rounds, particularly with how windy it was in round one, it's hard to say (how it's been). "There's no doubt the better sides will certainly make the most of it."
Camperdown coach Neville Swayn said it hadn't yet had as much of an impact as he initially thought it would.
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He expected a clearer picture to emerge with finer weather and said games had been "pretty scrappy" thus far.
"I think it's a bit early to say but I reckon we'll get a pretty good indication after the (May 11) bye," Swayn said.
"It's been pretty scrappy and I reckon that's because we've had the 12 months off (due to the COVID-19 pandemic). "It'll be interesting to see when we do get good conditions if there aren't as many stoppages."
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