THE SUB is officially gone for 2026, but the late-game impact player may still be alive.
Despite the sub rule being scrapped for this season, AFL.com.au reported last week that clubs are still weighing up using the new fifth player on the interchange bench as a 'pseudo substitute'.
>> SCROLL DOWN TO SEE HOW YOUR CLUB USED THE SUB IN 2025
The possibility of leaving a player on the pine until later in the game, in the hope they will have a greater impact when they come on, is strongly being considered.
It means while the rule has changed, how clubs used the sub in recent seasons could still be used as a pointer of what's to come.
An analysis of tactical sub moves in 2025, disregarding changes made due to injury, showed some clubs pulled the trigger on the sub much earlier than others.
Hawthorn was by far the most proactive in making an early call, with only one of Sam Mitchell's 20 tactical moves coming in the fourth quarter.
It was a trend that went against what other coaches tended to do; of the 48 instances across the league of a player being subbed out before the 19-minute mark of the third quarter, the Hawks were responsible for 12 of them, including four at half-time.
That 19-minute mark of the third term was a tipping point of sorts across the competition, with 215 of the 263 tactical moves (81.7 per cent) coming after this point in the game.
Adelaide was also proactive, with none of the Crows' 18 tactical moves coming after three-quarter time, while the likes of Sydney, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide and St Kilda also went earlier than the average (the Saints, with the second-quarter subbing of Hugo Garcia in round seven against Brisbane, were the only club to make a tactical move before half-time).
While the Hawks tended to go early, premier Brisbane took the opposite approach; only five of the Lions' 17 tactical moves came before the fourth quarter, with only one of those – the famous introduction of Lachie Neale into the Grand Final at half-time – coming before the 20-minute mark of the third term.
Collingwood, Geelong, Greater Western Sydney and Gold Coast also tended to go later than average during the 2025 season.
Unsurprisingly, details provided by Champion Data show tall forwards and rucks were the most likely to be subbed out of the game for tactical reasons. Of the 12 players to be subbed out more than three times in 2025, seven were talls; Ethan Read, Calsher Dear and Luke Trainor were subbed out four times each, while Mason Cox, Rhys Stanley, Mitch Lewis and Jack Williams were taken out three times each.
Speed, again unsurprisingly, was seemingly a preferred skillset for the starting sub, with small/half forwards and running half-backs frequently filling the role.
For the Hawks, as an example, running half-backs Bailey Macdonald and Changkuoth Jiath were the sub 12 times between them, often to replace a tall forward like Dear or Lewis (seven times subbed out), while Melbourne opted for the run of Harry Sharp as the starting sub on a league-high nine occasions.
Small forwards like Robert Hansen jnr (six) and Jake Rogers (five) also held the sub role more than most, while age was also a contributing factor.
Veterans like Nat Fyfe (seven times), David Swallow (six) and Luke Breust (five) were common options as clubs managed them through their final seasons at the top level, while players at the other end of their careers like Cooper Lord (seven), Sid Draper (six) and Christian Moraes (six) were exposed to the AFL via the sub role.
What it all means for how that fifth interchange player will be used 2026 is impossible to tell at this stage.
As one coach told AFL.com.au, last week: "We're going through everything at the moment – all the options and iterations".
And with almost 40 per cent of all sub moves in 2025 forced by injury, the decision is often in the laps of the injury gods.
Tactical subs made: 18
Average time: 3rd quarter, 23 mins (approx)
Most subbed out player: Sid Draper (2), Taylor Walker (2), Zac Taylor (2)
Most times the starting sub: Sid Draper (6), Chayce Jones (5)
Most times subbed on or off (combined): Sid Draper (8)
Tactical subs made: 17
Average time: 4th quarter, 4 mins (approx)
Most subbed out player: Bruce Reville (3)
Most times the starting sub: Bruce Reville (5)
Most times subbed on or off (combined): Bruce Reville (8)
Tactical subs made: 10
Average time: 3rd quarter, 28 mins (approx)
Most subbed out player: Cooper Lord (2)
Most times the starting sub: Cooper Lord (7)
Most times subbed on or off (combined): Cooper Lord (9)
Tactical subs made: 13
Average time: 4th quarter, five mins (approx)
Most subbed out player: Mason Cox (3)
Most times the starting sub: Ned Long (4), Oleg Markov (4)
Most times subbed on or off (combined): Ned Long (4), Oleg Markov (4), Ed Allan (4)
Tactical subs made: 13
Average time: 3rd quarter, 28 mins (approx)
Most subbed out player: Archie Perkins (2), Liam McMahon (2)
Most times the starting sub: Jye Menzie (4), Saad El-Hawli (4)
Most times subbed on or off (combined): Saad El-Hawli (5)
Tactical subs made: 14
Average time: 4th quarter, 1 minute (approx)
Most subbed out player: Isaiah Dudley (3)
Most times the starting sub: Nat Fyfe (7)
Most times subbed on or off (combined): Nat Fyfe (8), Isaiah Dudley (6)
Tactical subs made: 15
Average time: 4th quarter, 6 mins (approx)
Most subbed out player: Rhys Stanley (3)
Most times the starting sub: Ted Clohesy (6)
Most times subbed on or off (combined): Ted Clohesy (6)
Tactical subs made: 20
Average time: 4th quarter, 2 mins (approx)
Most subbed out player: Ethan Read (4)
Most times the starting sub: David Swallow (6)
Most times subbed on or off (combined): Nick Holman (7)
Tactical subs made: 10
Average time: 4th quarter, 6 mins (approx)
Most subbed out player: Callum Brown (2)
Most times the starting sub: Harry Rowston (4), Jacob Wehr (4)
Most times subbed on or off (combined): Harry Rowston (4), Jacob Wehr (4)
Tactical subs made: 20
Average time: 3rd quarter, 15 mins (approx)
Most subbed out player: Calsher Dear (4)
Most times the starting sub: Bailey McDonald (6), Changkuoth Jiath (6)
Most times subbed on or off (combined): Luke Breust (6), Bailey McDonald (6), Changkuoth Jiath (6)
Tactical subs made: 16
Average time: 3rd quarter, 25 mins (approx)
Most subbed out player: Koltyn Tholstrup (3)
Most times the starting sub: Harry Sharp (9)
Most times subbed on or off (combined): Harry Sharp (11)
Tactical subs made: 14
Average time: 3rd quarter, 24 mins (approx)
Most subbed out player: Finnbar Maley (3)
Most times the starting sub: Robert Hansen jnr (6)
Most times subbed on or off (combined): Robert Hansen jnr (7)
Tactical subs made: 10
Average time: 3rd quarter, 24 mins (approx)
Most subbed out player: Ivan Soldo (1), Jack Lukosius (1), Jackson Mead (1), Jason Horne-Francis (1), Jed McEntee (1), Jeremy Finlayson (1), Joe Berry (1), Jordon Sweet (1), Logan Evans (1), Mani Liddy (1)
Most times the starting sub: Christian Moraes (6)
Most times subbed on or off (combined): Christian Moraes (6)
Tactical subs made: 13
Average time: 3rd quarter, 29 mins (approx)
Most subbed out player: Luke Trainor (4)
Most times the starting sub: James Trezise (4), Kamdyn McIntosh (4)
Most times subbed on or off (combined): Luke Trainor (6)
Tactical subs made: 14
Average time: 3rd quarter, 22 mins (approx)
Most subbed out player: Dan Butler (2), Darcy Wilson (2), Isaac Keeler (2)
Most times the starting sub: Angus Hastie (3), Hunter Clark (3), Jack Carroll (3), Tobie Travaglia (3)
Most times subbed on or off (combined): Angus Hastie (4)
Tactical subs made: 15
Average time: 3rd quarter, 25 mins (approx)
Most subbed out player: Aaron Francis (2), Angus Sheldrick (2), Ben Paton (2), Jesse Dattoli (2), Riley Bice (2), Tom Hanily (2)
Most times the starting sub: Angus Sheldrick (5)
Most times subbed on or off (combined): Angus Sheldrick (7)
Tactical subs made: 19
Average time: 3rd quarter, 27 mins (approx)
Most subbed out player: Jack Williams (3)
Most times the starting sub: Hamish Davis (3), Tom Gross (3), Tyrell Dewar (3)
Most times subbed on or off (combined): Tom Gross (5), Tyrell Dewar (5)
Tactical subs made: 12
Average time: 3rd quarter, 29 mins (approx)
Most subbed out player: Jedd Busslinger (2), Lachlan McNeil (2)
Most times the starting sub: Cooper Hynes (3), Josh Dolan (3)
Most times subbed on or off (combined): Cooper Hynes (4)