After hostile weather forced a delay in play, it was hard to assess the success of the new directives for the AFLW as Carlton eventually beat Greater Western Sydney by 21 points on Friday.
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Carlton won 3.12 (30) to 1.3 (9) at Sydney's Drummoyne Oval in tough conditions, though both teams were guilty of wayward kicking.
The wet field and close score for most of game made it difficult to judge whether gazetted changes aimed at easing congestion around the ball were fully effective.
Thunder, lightning and heavy rain lashed the ground and forced a suspension of play at quarter time, with the game delayed for half an hour.
It's not the first time adverse weather has prompted a delay in an AFLW match.
It also occurred last year in a clash between Melbourne and Brisbane at Casey Fields.
A crowd of 4952 watched the second round fixture.
Both teams suffered an injury, with Carlton's outstanding defender Brianna Davey stretchered off with a leg problem in the final quarter, while GWS lost Britt Tully in the first term with what appeared to be a shoulder issue.
It was the Blues second win from as many games and the Giants' second loss, with Blues' coach coach Damien Keeping missing the match after being hospitalised earlier in the week.
The Giants were leading 1.0 (6) to 0.4 (4) at the time of the stoppage, with Phoebe McWillams kicking her team's only goal, her fourth of the season.
'Carlton kicked the only goal of the second quarter through Nicola Stevens, while GWS went scoreless for the term.
It was a similar story in the third, in which the Blues Darcy Vesio and Katie Loynes kicked the only goals of the quarter to swell the Blues lead to 17 by the final change, with no majors kicked in the last.
Carlton's Sarah Hosking pulled off 15 tackles while Giants' vice-captain Alicia Eva notched a match-high 17 touches.
Australian Associated Press
