LIVEWIRE Jay Kennedy-Harris says being a sub six times in his first AFL season was frustrating until he got to appreciate the role.

Although not a fan of the rule, Kennedy-Harris told Dee TV he learned to use it to his advantage.

“It’s a shocker,” Kennedy-Harris said of the rule with a smile.   

“You’re itching yourself for three quarters and you come on and you can run around like a headless chook sometimes.

“Eventually I started to really embrace how important that role could be for the club and the team and just how much impact you can have.”

Kennedy-Harris played 14 matches in 2015 and was the starting substitute in the first three rounds, and again in rounds nine, 12 and 19. But over time, he worked out how to get the best out of the role.   

“You can help your teammates out in terms of if someone is too tired to keep going – you can cover them for a bit because you’ve got the legs,” he said.

“As bad as the role is – and as tough as it is … it’s really important if you put yourself in the right mindset to play that role.

“Sometimes it doesn’t work out too well for you, but other times you can be the difference in a game.”

By the end of the season, Kennedy-Harris said he had embraced the position. 

“I played it so many times for our team that it just suited me really well. The way I play – I’m a really good impact player,” he said.

“When I got to the realisation [about the role] – that’s where I started to play my best footy as a sub.

“I really started to embrace it after a while.”