PORT ADELAIDE senior assistant coach Michael Voss says the dynamic in the coaches’ box has changed significantly in season 2019.

With the new rules in place to restrict runners’ impact on AFL games, Voss believes the influence coaches can have from the box on games has diminished this season.

“It’s quieter (in there) because when you can’t send the runner out, it’s having an impact,” Voss said at a press conference on Thursday afternoon.

“Whatever control we felt we had previously, which was probably none, it’s definitely been taken away now.

“It’s a lot quieter. A lot of good discussions up there though.”

The reduced impact of the coaching group during a match is a change the former Lions champion believes is really good for the game.

“The game is heading that way where they are trying to remove the influence of what we can do,” he said.

“It is largely player-driven, as it always should be, so it puts more onus on your leaders and as a collective group to get it done.

“Our focus over the pre-season is to try and get the players as independent as possible out on the field.

“To be able to make calls, lead those decisions and back those decisions in throughout the whole game.”

While Voss admits his coaching group has less impact on game days, he says the decisions they make during the week are very important.

And a decision to rest first-year gun Xavier Duursma from Thursday’s main session was about managing his workload more than anything else.

“He’s fine. The guys have had a full load to this point in time, so it’s as much about managing the load,” Voss said.

“We are starting to move into that period where most of those guys will get a rest throughout the year and we tend to look at the program first before we look at any other options.

“With all of these things it’s better to be pre-emptive rather than reactive, so we tend to look at it that way rather than wait for something to happen and see signs that they are tipping over.

“The ground he’s covering in games has been monumental. He’s one of our highest runners in terms of output.

“He’s taken on a pretty big workload, so we are keeping all of those factors in mind and just making sure he’s ready to go.”