We’re not sure that it is after examining the list of Collingwood’s substitutes during the past two and a half years.
In its 62 matches since the AFL introduced the substitute rule at the start of 2011 – which sees three players start on the interchange bench alongside a substitute who wears a green vest and can replace any of the remaining 23 players at any stage of the match – 24 different Collingwood players have pulled the green vest over the top of their black and white jumper.
No Collingwood player has worn the green vest more often than Didak.
The Magpie Army’s beloved small forward has started as the substitute in eight of his 33 games since the beginning of 2011.
He wore it four times in 2011, thrice in 2011 and once this season.
Interestingly, ‘Dids’ has worn it twice during September, while he was substituted out of the club’s two finals against West Coast in the past two years.
Next in line is the heir to Didak’s goal kicking throne.
Alex Fasolo has worn the green vest on five occasions but only once since his debut season. That was earlier this year when he returned from a foot injury against Hawthorn in round three. He made an immediate impact, kicking a goal within seconds of taking to the field in the third quarter and taking a hanger on centre wing.
It’s clear that Collingwood’s coaching panels of 2011-2013 have opted for impact players when deciding who to name as their substitute.
Fellow small forwards Ben Sinclair and Caolan Mooney join Paul Seedsman and Tom Young behind Didak and Fasolo as the Magpies’ most frequent substitutes.
The quartet has begun four matches in green. Sinclair and Mooney were clearly chosen with an eye to injecting their electric pace and hunger to tackle later in the game. In fact, Mooney has been involved as a substitute in all five of his senior matches and has only once begun the match without the vest.
Debutants
Interestingly, nine of Collingwood’s 19 debutants in the past two and a half years have begun their first game as the substitute.
None of these players spent more than half the game on the field. Sam Dwyer, who debuted as a 26-year-old in round one this season, played 49 per cent of his first game. Adam Oxley managed to play 39 per cent of the Queen’s Birthday win over Melbourne but only Ben Kennedy (33 per cent), Ben Sinclair (32 per cent) and Paul Seedsman (32 per cent) have played any more than 30 per cent of their debut games.
Of the nine, Kirk Ugle received the least amount of game time, playing 17 per cent of last year’s ANZAC Day win over Essendon.
Streaks
No Collingwood player has begun as the substitute in more than two consecutive matches.
Tyson Goldsack, Alex Fasolo, Alan Didak (twice), Paul Seedsman, Kirk Ugle, Jamie Elliott, Ben Kennedy and Adam Oxley have all clocked consecutive matches in green.
Ugle was the substitute in all three of his senior games for the Magpies and Seedsman’s first three games began in green. First-year rover Ben Kennedy began as the substitute in three of his first four senior outings before getting an extended run in the last three weeks.
As mentioned earlier, Caolan Mooney has been involved as a substitute in all five of his senior games. He started as the sub in four and was taken out of the game at half time during Collingwood’s clash with Greater Western Sydney in round 18 last year.
Collingwood’s Substitutes
2011
Round One v Port Adelaide: Brent Macaffer
Round Two v North Melbourne: Andrew Krakouer
Round Three v Carlton: Leon Davis
Round Four v Richmond: Alan Toovey
Round Five v Essendon: Brad Dick
Round Six v Western Bulldogs: Simon Buckley
Round Seven: BYE
Round Eight v Geelong: Brad Dick
Round Nine v Adelaide: Alan Didak
Round 10 v West Coast: Jarryd Blair
Round 11 v St Kilda: Tyson Goldsack
Round 12 v Melbourne: Tyson Goldsack
Round 13: BYE
Round 14 v Sydney: John McCarthy
Round 15 v Hawthorn: Luke Rounds (debut)
Round 16 v North Melbourne: Alex Fasolo
Round 17 v Carlton: Alex Fasolo
Round 18 v Gold Coast: John McCarthy
Round 19 v Essendon: Ben Sinclair (debut)
Round 20 v Port Adelaide: Alan Didak
Round 21 v St Kilda: Alan Didak
Round 22 v Brisbane: John McCarthy
Round 23 v Fremantle: Tom Young
Round 24 v Geelong: Jarryd Blair
Qualifying Final v West Coast: Alex Fasolo
Preliminary Final v Hawthorn: Alan Didak
Grand Final v Geelong: Alex Fasolo
2012
Round One v Hawthorn: Paul Seedsman (debut)
Round Two v Richmond: Paul Seedsman
Round Three v Carlton: Ben Sinclair
Round Four v Port Adelaide: Paul Seedsman
Round Five v Essendon: Kirk Ugle (debut)
Round Six v Western Bulldogs: Kirk Ugle
Round Seven v Brisbane: Peter Yagmoor
Round Eight v Geelong: Simon Buckley
Round Nine v Adelaide: Jamie Elliott (debut)
Round 10 v Gold Coast: Kirk Ugle
Round 11 v Melbourne: Tom Young
Round 12: BYE
Round 13 v West Coast: Tom Young
Round 14 v Fremantle: Caolan Mooney (debut)
Round 15 v Carlton: Ben Sinclair
Round 16 v Geelong: Marty Clarke
Round 17 v Hawthorn: Caolan Mooney
Round 18 v Greater Western Sydney: Marty Clarke
Round 19 v St Kilda: Tom Young
Round 20 v Sydney: Alan Didak
Round 21 v North Melbourne: Caolan Mooney
Round 22 v West Coast: Ben Sinclair
Round 23 v Essendon: Alan Didak
Qualifying Final v Hawthorn: Alan Didak
Semi-Final v West Coast: Jamie Elliott
Preliminary Final v Sydney: Jamie Elliott
2013
Round One v North Melbourne: Sam Dwyer (debut)
Round Two v Carlton: Paul Seedsman
Round Three v Hawthorn: Alex Fasolo
Round Four v Richmond: Dale Thomas
Round Five v Essendon: Tyson Goldsack
Round Six v St Kilda: Ben Kennedy (debut)
Round Seven v Fremantle: Caolan Mooney
Round Eight v Geelong: Ben Kennedy
Round Nine v Sydney: Ben Kennedy
Round 10 v Brisbane: Alan Didak
Round 11 v Melbourne: Adam Oxley (debut)
Round 12 v Western Bulldogs: Adam Oxley
Totals
8 – Alan Didak
5 – Alex Fasolo
4 – Caolan Mooney, Paul Seedsman, Ben Sinclair, Tom Young
3 – Jamie Elliott, Tyson Goldsack, Ben Kennedy, John McCarthy, Kirk Ugle
2 – Jarryd Blair, Simon Buckley, Marty Clarke, Brad Dick, Adam Oxley
1 – Leon Davis, Sam Dwyer, Andrew Krakouer, Brent Macaffer, Luke Rounds, Dale Thomas, Alan Toovey, Peter Yagmoor
