Umpires would be able to award free kicks against the last player to touch the ball before it crosses the boundary line under a new rule being investigated by the AFL.

The last possession rule, which has been in place in the SANFL since 2016, is being considered according to AFL Football GM Brad Scott.

“It’s fair to say the AFL are looking very closely at what the SANFL are doing with last disposal,” Scott told 7 News last month.

Crows Head of Football Adam Kelly told The Crows Show the rule change had a significant impact on scoring. 

“Back in 2016, I had been at the SANFL as the General Manager of Football for 12 months and throughout that 2015 season we did have some concern about the way the game was being played,” Kelly said.

“Data we looked at (showed) it was the highest stoppage competition of any state league in the country and the lowest scoring.

“We looked at a number of changes, one of them was the introduction of the last possession, out of bounds rule.

“We went from being the highest stoppage competition in the land to the lowest after the introduction of the rule and we went from being the lowest scoring to the highest scoring.”

Channel 7 sport reporter Theo Doropoulos said the rule could be transferred to the AFL.

“It’s faster, it removes doubt from the fans - if you see the ball come off the boot of your team, it’s going to the other team,” Doropoulos said.

“Immediately players can play on and get the ball back into play.

“We do see in the AFL level there are a lot of boundary throw-ins, teams like to defensively go around the corridor to avoid getting scored against, so this would completely open that up.

‘I think it could work at the AFL level, it would make the game that’s already quite fast, even faster.”

Also on The Crows Show this week, new AFLW recruit and lifelong Crows fan Amber Ward talks about her arrival at West Lakes, while Will Hamill joins Tom Doedee to reveal his Hungry Jack's Whopper Moment.

The Crows Show airs on Channel 7 this Saturday at 12.30pm.