Nick Davis calls on the AFL to change the ball Nick Davis wants the ball changed to stop the ugly football that was played on Anzac Day. FORMER Swans player Nick Davis has called on the AFL to introduce a synthetic ball to end the type of ugly football that marred the Anzac Day clash in New Zealand. Sydney beat St Kilda in the first match played overseas for premiership points but the slippery conditions did little to attract new fans. The AFL is desperate to attract followers in New Zealand but the leather Sherrin ball made it close to impossible for players to take the high marks that are a hallmark of Aussie rules football. Davis, a Swans runner, has worked with the Cronulla Sharks as a kicking and marking coach for the past two years. He said the AFL should investigate changing the ball to make it easier to mark. "If you changed to a synthetic ball you would have to make sure the weight, feel and aerodynamics of the ball were right," he said. Steedens and Gilberts are built for passing and not for kicking so they would have to get that right with the footy because kicking the ball in Aussie rules is so important. Swans ruckman Mike Pyke grew up with a Gilbert playing rugby in Canada and has mixed feelings about introducing a synthetic ball. "I'm not sure if I would like to see a change to a synthetic ball in the AFL - dropping the ball is one of the games features," Pyke said. Of all the football codes, Aussie rules suffers most when the ball is wet. Rugby league, rugby union and football all made the switch to synthetic balls decades ago for the simple reason that it makes the game better to watch and play.