Van Berlo questions slide rule

Adelaide Crows captain Nathan van Berlo, left, at training with Daniel Talia. Picture: Sarah Reed. Source: The Advertiser

CROWS captain Nathan van Berlo has slammed the controversial sliding rule that has been introduced into the AFL this year.

Van Berlo said outlawing contact below the knees would change "how we played our footy growing up".

"So to remove that completely from the game is going to be very difficult," he said. "For the odd occurrence where there's an injury, I understand the AFL's concern, but I don't think there's a drastic need to change it."

Van Berlo was among eight of the 15 AFL captains surveyed by The Advertiser who were opposed to the rule, which was trialled in the NAB Cup.

Under new guidelines, a free kick will this season be awarded against a player who makes forceful contact below the knees of an opponent.

The controversial rule change followed the broken leg sustained by Sydney's Gary Rohan against North Melbourne last season, when Lindsay Thomas slid across his leg.

Van Berlo is strongly opposed to the rule, saying he is worried it will be misinterpreted by umpires and players.

"I think it's going to be misinterpreted so I think it needs some further change," he said.

"It will be interesting to see how the umpires interpret it. I just think, particularly when it's wet, that's part of what people love coming to see, those collisions.

"As players that's how we played our footy growing up so to remove that completely from the game is going to be very difficult to do."

Hawthorn skipper Luke Hodge said the interpretation would rob the game of acts of desperation.

He said the league needed to stop players from sliding into contests knees-first.

"But with the sliding head-first desperation stuff, I don't agree with that," he said.

"You've got to be able to slide and put your body on the line.

"That's what (North Melbourne's) Glenn Archer was known for and why he played so many games.

"I agree with the knees-first but head-first - that's going to take away a lot of the desperation stuff the fans want to see and that makes our game so good."

But St Kilda skipper Nick Riewoldt was in favour of the rule, saying "anything that protects players from serious leg injuries (is good)".

However, Sydney co-captain Jarrad McVeigh said last Saturday's trial match against Port Adelaide at AAMI Stadium had proved the rule was not clearly understood.

"Dan Hannebery kept his feet, picked the ball up and a player dived at his legs with their head and they got the free kick for high contact, but Hanners got hit below the knees, so we couldn't work it out," McVeigh said.

"The rule is, if you stay on your feet and take the ball, then you're in the right."

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