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Jack Steele is not a fan of the AFL’s new man on the mark rule.Credit:Getty Images

“It will open up scoring a bit because defence always fatigues before offence does,” McEvoy said.

Steele,an All-Australian last year and St Kilda co-captain alongside the injured Jarryn Geary,said despite his dislike of the rule he only had one option,which was to adjust.

“It’s just what the AFL has put in place. It’s going to come down to who deals with it best,adapts to it best and moves on with it,” Steele said.

Speaking on the new interchange cap,which has beenreduced to 75 rotations per game,Steele said he expected increased player fatigue would lead to more injuries and test clubs’ depth.

“Fingers crossed there isn’t a rise in injuries,but there’s a good chance there will be,” he said.

“I suppose that just goes to show that you need depth on your list to win premierships. It’s not going to be what your best 22 is,it’s going to be what your best 40 is this year.”

Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli said the effect of the reduced interchange was impossible to determine just yet but logic would suggest that with longer games,rules to encourage quicker play and fewer rotations there would be a physical toll.

“You wonder what that might do after a few quick shifts back and forward into space,” Bontempelli,who has played 46 consecutive games,said.

Steele said he woud prefer players were better listened to before rule changes. “It would be nice to have some sort of say,but I don’t think we’ll ever get that,” he said.

North Melbourne captain Jack Ziebell echoed Steele’s fears of a rising injury toll,and said it would be an issue for the AFL to monitor.

“When you’re that tired as a player and you’re still expected to do the same amount of work,something’s got to give,” he said. “There could be a risk for more injuries,so it’s something to watch from the AFL’s point of view.”

Others captains who gathered on the eve of the season,such as Collingwood skipper Scott Pendlebury,said they liked the man on the mark rule as it didn’t penalise a player who took the mark by forcing them to concede ground.

“I personally like the man on the mark rule,I think it is good,” the Collingwood captain said.

“If you can find a 25-metre kick,why should you have to go back 10 metres so they can take the grass that you marked the ball on?”

Pendlebury also liked the scope for a team to clear the back line at a kick-in,with the new rule pushing the man on the mark at kick-ins back further.

“Jayden Short the other night was putting them into the centre square. You will pay the price this year if you kick too many points,” he said.

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