Adelaide Crows ruckman Reilly O'Brien is apprehensive about how the AFL's latest rule changes will play out to begin the 2026 season, stating that there have been "grey" areas of understanding from both players and umpires in early pre-season match simulations.
O'Brien, who has been Adelaide's primary ruck option since 2019, especially highlighted the need for clarification on the new ruck rules.
According to the memo sent out by the AFL in October last year, "a competing ruck cannot cross the centre circle line and engage with the opposition ruck, prior to contesting the football" at all centre ball-ups.
The change aims to see the jumping rucks return to the game, with the AFL finding that only 21 per cent of centre bounce ruck contests had at least one ruck jumping in the 2025 season, down from 63 per cent in 2023.
However, O'Brien noted some areas of the ruck craft that have not been addressed, leaving the 30-year-old confused on what he can legally attempt in a duel.
"We [rucks] are still trying to work it out but the umpires are too. It's a bit grey so far," O'Brien told media.
"It's obviously a change from the last couple of years and before that, the rules were different around not being able to cross over and wrestle and put your arm out. It's a completely new rule for everyone.
"The umpires are adjudicating stepping over the line before you jump. That's the main cue they're looking for and there's a few other things we're looking through as well, like if you can collide with your opposition ruckman before hitting the ball."
While O'Brien admitted he "tested the limits" of the rule in Adelaide's intra-club match simulation on Wednesday, he remains unsure on where many of his supposed errors were made, indicating the need for greater explanation from the league.
"I was trying to test the limits of it today and gave away about four free kicks. I'll have to watch the vision because I still don't know what they're for," O'Brien revealed.
"I think there needs to be a bit of clarification on that one to come from the AFL."
While there have been early struggles in the more athletic guise of the position for O'Brien, he felt confident he could take advantage against All-Australian hopefuls who have dominated as more physical rucks in recent years, though a period of adaptation for all rucks will undoubtedly take place.
"[The rule change] will suit the jumpers, which is what it's designed to do. It'll certainly help guys like Tom De Koning, Luke Jackson, [Bailey J. Williams], those guys who are pure jumpers at the ball," O'Brien said.
"It gives them a chance to show their strengths in there and not get wrestled out of it, so against those guys it'll be a challenge. But against the big bruisers like a Tristan Xerri or Darcy Cameron, it might be more of an advantage for a guy like me.
"There will be a lot of adapting to the new rule and working with the tactics to get [into a rhythm]. There will be a lot more corkies, more collisions, a lot more big knees into the quads."
O'Brien enters the 2026 season fresh off signing a three-year extension, taking his contract with the Crows until the end of 2028, though his role at the club became murky with intensifying rumours that out-of-contract ruck star Sam Draper may join the West Lakes-based outfit.
Ultimately, Draper joined Brisbane, but the 2020 Crows best and fairest winner and 2024 AFL hitouts leader unpacked the transparent talks he had with the club about the potential signing.
"I was really comfortable signing the contract [before Draper's decision]," O'Brien said.
"We were in talks throughout the year about what that looked like, in terms of pursuit of other guys to better the list. We've always had two rucks on the list and a lot of teams have three, potentially four.
"We were certainly looking in the market for a ruck-forward to top our list up. I was kept in the loop in those conversations and had good transparency."
O'Brien and the Crows begin their 2026 pre-season schedule with a match simulation hitout against cross-town rivals Port Adelaide on Friday, February 20 at Alberton Oval.
