AFL GREAT Chris Judd has given the thumbs-up to the raft of rules changes, saying the game's stars will benefit. 

The weekend's opening pre-season games were the first chance to see the impact of several new rules that are designed to open up play. 

They include the 6-6-6 positions at centre bounces and players now being able to take possession in ruck contests. 

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"I thought they were outstanding, from a small sample size," Judd said of the changes. 

"It's made it more traditional with new rules - that was a bloody good effort. 

"Usually the new rules, traditionalists hate.'' 

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AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said his football operations boss Steve Hocking had been clear that the rules needed to be viewed as a whole. 

"Don't look at individual rules, look at the aggregate. They all work together," McLachlan said. 

"What I saw on the weekend was just bits of space that didn't exist before. 

"I did notice midfielders at the centre clearance had time to be brilliant ... I did notice leading forwards who seemed to have a bit more space and time." 

McLachlan singled out new Carlton co-captain Patrick Cripps, one of the league's best midfielders, as a star who thrived under the new rules. 

"I did notice that the midfielders, at the centre clearance, had time to be brilliant ... and then, I did (notice) leading forwards who seemed to have a bit more space and a bit more time," the AFL boss said. 

Speaking at a pre-season media briefing on Monday, McLachlan added that he was confident about the future of the annual AFL game in China and also that he didn't expect the current 22-game season structure to change anytime soon.