THE MID-WEEK footy period saw squad depth put under the pump, with some teams opting to rotate heavily through their 15-day stretch.

But when it comes to the raw number of players used after eight rounds of football, compared to last year, the overall average is exactly the same.

Champion Data has confirmed that after eight games of football in 2023, the average number of players used per club was 27.2.

After eight games of football per team in 2024 – even with the compressed period – the average is … 27.2.

However, digging deeper into each individual team's situation throws up some variations.

Players used after eight matches

Interestingly, Sydney hasn't had a lengthy injury list in comparison to Collingwood and Melbourne – at most having five unavailable back in week two – but the Swans have rotated heavily.

Of its expanded squad of 32, only Alana Woodward (hand, then ACL) hasn't featured this season.

Despite the sheer number of players under 21 on its list, Port Adelaide has stuck fast with its selected squad, having fielded nearly every player of its own expanded squad by this point last year.

St Kilda has also been quite settled after a heavy injury load last year.

By comparison, Adelaide has swung the changes in 2024, taking a cautious approach with players suffering minor injuries (rolled ankles etc) and stating publicly in its injury reports that they would normally be fine to go off a normal break.

Unsurprisingly, North Melbourne and Brisbane have stuck to their usual practice of a comparatively low number of rotations within their squads.