The injury insurance policy at Hawthorn has helped sharpshooter Luke Breust take his AFL game to another level.
Breust is in the All-Australian squad after kicking 54 goals, second for the Hawks behind Jarryd Roughead.
The 23-year-old famously had a purple patch this season where he went 10 games without kicked a behind, eventually tying goalkicking great Tony Lockett with 29 straight majors.
But it's the occasional forays into the midfield that have boosted his game.
Coach Alastair Clarkson has been determined to make his players more versatile, meaning Hawthorn have plenty of options when injuries inevitably occur.
It was a key factor this year as the defending premiers coped with some significant mid-season absentees to finish second.
They then earned the week off with a qualifying final win over arch-rivals Geelong.
"Half-forward can be a bit of a graveyard at times, so to be able to get up in the midfield - even if it's only a tackle or a bump or a shepherd or a handball or whatever it is - you feel like you're back in the game," Breust said.
"You can go back to half-forward and have an impact.
"It's been really important for me, as well as a number of other guys who can play midfield-forward or midfield-half back, to keep swapping up their roles."
Timing is also everything, with Cyril Rioli their only significant injury concern this late in the season.
The health of their list in September makes a stark contrast to the problems at Fremantle and Geelong.
Predictably, Breust would not be drawn on whether Fremantle or Port Adelaide were better placed ahead of their semi-final.
The winner of that game on Saturday night will play the Hawks in a preliminary final.
But Breust admitted to being impressed by Port's elimination final demolition of Richmond.
"If they can get up and running and get their game style going, then they're going to be a pretty tough opponent come either prelim or obviously this weekend for Fremantle," Breust said.
This is the third straight year that Hawthorn will have the week off ahead of a preliminary final.
Breust said they would prepare as if they have game this weekend, adding their football department knows how to handle the priceless time off.
"We don't change that at all," he said.
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