BRISBANE Lions forward Josh Schache has played more minutes than all but 40 AFL players in his first season.
He is also the only first-year player in the top 100 players for minutes played until the end of round 16.
Schache has played 1702 minutes in 15 games, having been rested for round six against the Sydney Swans and then getting a break because of the bye between rounds 14 and 16.
Brisbane Lions high performance manager Damien Austin said Schache's achievement was unusual and his progress was being carefully monitored to protect his long-term interests.
Although Schache was noted for his aerobic capacity during his junior years, Austin said everyone was aware of the big step up to AFL.
"We probably didn't anticipate him playing so many games and we're really conscious of it," Austin told AFL.com.au.
He said a big percentage of Schache's training load was coming through games and the education he was getting playing senior football was invaluable.
"It's a massive learning curve and he has been put in the deep end," Austin said.
"We're very happy with where he is at and what he is doing. We're confident in his ability to run and run out games."
Despite Schache's outstanding resilience, teammate Daniel Merrett, Austin, player welfare manager Craig Lambert and coach Justin Leppitsch were having frank conversations with the youngster to ensure he was right.
The club also has objective markers to measure his capacity.
"Needless to say we may have to rest him again before the season ends," Austin said.
The 18-year-old has kicked at least one goal in each of the past six rounds for a total of 16 goals for the season, while playing on some of the game's best defenders each week.
Comparable key forwards on emerging lists such as Gold Coast's Tom Lynch and Greater Western Sydney's Jeremy Cameron played 13 and 16 games in their first AFL seasons in 2011 and 2012 respectively.
The next best first-year player in 2016 is 21-year-old Adelaide forward Mitch McGovern, who has played 1509 minutes in 16 games to sit at 153rd on the list of minutes played.
The Crows have 10 players in the top 100 for minutes played. They have had a remarkable run with injury in 2016, using just 27 players so far, four fewer than the next best club.
Seven of the top eight teams have at least six players in the top 100, the Western Bulldogs being the outlier with just two players in the top 100 for minutes played.
The Bulldogs have used more players (36) than any other top eight team, with only the reliable Dale Morris (1791 minutes) and the improving Lachie Hunter (1642) in the top 100.
Collingwood's injury and form troubles are underlined with Scott Pendlebury the only Magpie in the top 100.
Pendlebury, who battled a rib injury at the start of the season, is 89th on the list, with 1613 minutes played.
West Coast key forward Josh Kennedy has played the most minutes this season with 1905 in 16 games, with Hawthorn's Ben Stratton (1879 minutes), Richmond's Jack Riewoldt (1875), Gold Coast's Lynch (1869 minutes) and Adelaide's Daniel Talia (1868) rounding out the top five.
Number of players in the top 100 for minutes played in 2016 by club
10 Adelaide, North Melbourne
9 St Kilda, Hawthorn
7 Carlton, Geelong
6 Greater Western Sydney, Melbourne, Sydney Swans, West Coast
5 Port Adelaide, Fremantle
4 Richmond
3 Essendon, Brisbane Lions
2 Gold Coast, Western Bulldogs
1 Collingwood
Stats supplied by Champion Data
