How many players are on the bench, and what is the interchange cap?

Each club names 23 players for an AFL match: 18 who start on the field and five interchange players on the bench, plus three emergencies who are not part of the match-day 23.

The interchange cap is 75 interchanges per club per match. There is no limit on how often any one player can be rotated, only on the club's total. Players must enter and leave the ground through the interchange gate or area; a player who does not is penalised with a free kick and a 50-metre penalty to the opposition.

Source: AFL Regulations (11 February 2026), Regulations 12.2 and 12.8 and the definition of Interchange Cap; Laws of Australian Football 2026, Law 7.2.