Brisbane Lions coach Leigh Matthews insists Richmond's Joel Bowden has done nothing unsporting, but has raised a footballing anomaly.

Matthews laughed at suggestions Bowden defied the spirit of the game when he rushed two behinds to soak up precious seconds and help the Tigers beat Essendon in last Saturday's AFL game at the MCG.

Bowden's stalling tactics have been a major talking point over the past two days, and have been commended by a handful of coaches, although disgruntled Essendon fans accused the veteran defender of unsportsmanlike conduct.

Matthews, whose Lions play the Tigers on Saturday night at Telstra Dome, said the spirit of the game argument was "rubbish" and that Bowden deserved plaudits for using the rules to his side's advantage.

But he questioned whether sides deserved to be given possession of the ball if they conceded a behind to the opposition, and advocated a rule change - either a three-point penalty or bouncing the ball at the top of the goalsquare.

"It is further evidence for the need to change the reward and the penalty for a deliberately conceded behind," he said.

"It is wrong that you can give the opposition a point and get the ball back.

"To me that proves that it is not enough penalty.

"No-one has got any concern about conceding a behind at any point in the game, let alone when you are saving the game.

"Either you do what they do in the pre-season and you concede three points for a deliberate (behind) or you don't get the ball back, bounce it in front of the goal square."

Rushed behinds are awarded three points in the pre-season competition, but an AFL spokesman said there were no plans to change the rule during the home and away season.

The spokesman said clubs had until mid-August to submit written submissions on proposed rule changes.

"We don't look at things on a week-by-week basis," he said.

The spokesman said the AFL also had no problem with Bowden's time-soaking tactics given the upset of some supporters.

"We haven't had that discussion (that he acted outside the spirit of the game)," he said.

"What he's done is entirely in the laws."

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