Rules? Who said anything about new rules?

This year's AFL pre-season competition boasts the biggest set of rule changes the game has ever seen, but after round one spectators, players and coaches could be forgiven for asking what all the fuss was about.

There's been television advertisements, extra columns added to scoreboards and a myriad of `what-if' scenarios to accompany the five new rules for the Wizard Cup.

But for all the talk of booming nine-pointers, costly rushed behinds and a quicker game, the first weekend proved the game hardly needed tinkering.

Many coaches put little emphasis on the trial rules: nine points for goals outside 50 metres, three points for deliberately rushed behinds, quicker kick-ins after behinds, a larger centre square and play on called for backward kicks.

The first seven games of the round produced just 14 nine-point goals, six of them in Geelong's big win over the Western Bulldogs on Sunday.

Port Adelaide lost to Adelaide by one point and can consider itself unlucky, with Crow Simon Goodwin's nine-point goal obviously a significant difference.

Similarly, those games produced just four behinds deemed deliberately rushed, none of which influenced the result.

The Power also lost key forward Warren Tredrea, who dislocated his knee and looks set to miss five weeks.

Few coaches expressed concerns with the rules, although Port coach Mark Williams said the rushed behind was tough on a defender under pressure, although the scenario did not eventuate at AAMI Stadium.

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