Eight-time All-Australian Max Gawn fears changes to ruck rules could lead to predictable contests that favour athletes over footballers.
"After watching the (pre-season) games, what's actually happened is what I didn't really want," Gawn told AAP.
"It's just literally two players jumping into each other and no real ruck-craft at all."
Under new rules for 2026, rucks are forbidden from crossing the centre line before engaging with their opponents, while umpires will throw the ball up rather than bouncing it.
The changes are expected to lead to less wrestling around stoppages.
"I agree wrestling is not the best look, but AFL is famously a game that caters for all shapes and sizes," Gawn said.
"If we just say we don't want wrestlers and we only want people who can jump, I feel like that doesn't cater for all shapes and sizes.
"I'm glad (the AFL) are thinking about rucks and thinking about trying to get the best product going forward, but hopefully there's a bit more tinkering with this exact rule.
"Did I think it was necessary? I felt like we were self-correcting a little bit at the back-end of the year."
With rucks to wrestle less and jump more, some expect a rise in posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injuries due to more knee-on-knee collisions.
"Without speaking for them, I do know a lot of (rucks) stopped jumping because of their knees," Gawn said.
"I know Toby Nankervis, Darcy Cameron and Mark Pittonet, myself … we've all had PCLs.
"Funnily enough, I've done five thousand centre bounces in my life and my PCL injury was as a full-forward.
"So I don't think they're (going to be) as common as people say, but the PCLs will come under a bit of pressure because it's literally 'one, two, three jump' from both people."
While he's unconvinced that the new rules will be good for the game in the long run, Gawn expects ruckmen to adapt quickly, and is enjoying the challenge of finding ways to put his 247 games of ruck experience to good use.
"I'm really keen to give it a go. It's 17 years into my career and now I get to train a new skill.
"I love jumping and I've always loved jumping, but my vertical (leap) is not as good as some other guys, so I've got to work out where the ruck-craft comes into it.
"I'm training to see if I can come off different angles, and if I can get right up on the line (for centre throw-ups). I'm watching as much vision as I can."
The 34-year-old also learned some lessons from Collingwood's Darcy Cameron, when the pair faced off in the Victoria v Western Australia state of origin match earlier this month.
"Is there a world where I can stay down? At different times, Darcy Cameron showed me that you can ... he stayed down a couple times."
With the Demons set to meet the Saints in round one, and a clash against one of the AFL's premier leapers looming, Gawn won't have to wait long to put his new tactics to the test.
"There will be some teething problems. Lucky enough, I've got Tom De Koning round one, which means I'm probably going to be jumping."
