Australian rules football is one of the nation's favourite pastimes. It is a game steeped in and sustained by its tradition, beloved for its singularity as much as its spectacle.
However, this has rarely hindered those in charge of the country's most-watched code from attempting to edit its foundations. History is littered with ill-fated, albeit well-intentioned experiments, undertaken for a variety of reasons. Some were executed in an effort to broaden the game's appeal to the dormant masses, particularly in the northern frontier; some were an attempt to level the playing field, while others were in aid of globalising this uniquely Australian sport.
We're counting down 10 of these AFL experiments, and casting a verdict on their respective efficacies.
The sub
Ahead of the 2011 season, the AFL opted to reduce the number of players on the interchange from four to three, with the fourth now designated as a sub that can only be made once. I'm sure you'll remember the green vest - red vest circus that underscored matches of that era.
In 2014, the AFL introduced an interchange cap, set at 120 per game, after teams like St Kilda and Collingwood were deemed to be interchanging excessively. Mick Malthouse believes Dane Swan won his 2011 Brownlow Medal on the back of this ice hockey-adjacent 'shift' model.
Ahead of the 2016 season, amid backlash from fans, coaches and players alike, the AFL ditched the vest model, returned to the status quo of four on the interchange, and capped interchanges further, at 90, given there was an 'extra' player back in the rotation.
That lasted until 2021, when the AFL reintroduced a sub, in the form of a fifth player on the bench. This player was only to be introduced for medical reasons, such was, and is, the AFL's fears over a head injury class action coming their way. Interchanges were lowered again, to 75, too.
The medical sub-demarcation was abandoned after just two seasons, with the rebranding of the fifth player to 'tactical sub' occurring on the eve of the 2023 season.
And now, on the eve of the 2026 season, that fifth player has become just another player on the interchange. No more sub, just an extra on the bench.
15 years of this fiasco. How tiresome.
Protecting the head, giving coaches tactical flexibility and saving players from themselves are all noble ideals, but as with most things, I'm crying out for conviction from the AFL on this matter. Make a decision, justify it, and stick to it.
Verdict: This most recent change gets a 4/10. Five on the bench seems excessive. The tactical sub was the version of the rule that I liked the most - if a team stuffs up the timing of it, so be it. Let there be consequences for mismanagement.
