AFL maintains rules have not changed and legitimate show of strength still allowed in marking contests THE AFL last night said it did not want to outlaw a legitimate show of strength from players in a marking contest in the wake of criticism from coaches and the public over recent interpretations. And the league was insistent it had not changed the rules or the interpretation surrounding marking duels. But AFL football operations manager Mark Evans said umpires would penalise players who had a "clear, secondary action" to take an opponent out of a marking contest. "We do want the typical Jason Dunstall, Jonathan Brown mark (where) you have got your opponent and you are holding him out and protecting the drop zone and you are moving to the ball," Evans said on 3AW. We still need to protect that kind of mark - that's great play. The difference is when there is a clear secondary action that is just designed (to keep) that player away from the contest. That's what we have been struggling to explain. Evans' comments come after Geelong coach Chris Scott and Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley questioned AFL director of umpires Jeff Gieschen's explanation of what is permissible in a marking contest on Monday. "The rule has not changed, there is no (new) interpretation and neither has there been an explosion of free kicks for pushes in marking contests," Evans said. The rule is designed that someone who has their primary focus of trying to compete for a mark should be allowed to do that. If you deliberately try and take a player out of the contest and keep him away from that marking contest and the ability to mark the ball, then you will be penalised. Evans said the interpretation should rest with the umpires in each situation, saying that one of the indicators should be whether the player's eyes are on the ball or not. "If it is just part of the general body work in a marking contest, then that should be perfectly allowable," he said.