Fomer number three draft pick Sam Day has been made to do it the hard way this season. 

For 11 of the first 12 rounds, Day has been named as one of Gold Coast's four emergencies.

He has suffered some brutal injuries in recent times, including a dislocated hip that forced him out of the 2017 season, and shoulder surgery ended his 2018 season.

In those years he was a certain starter, but this season, despite being fully fit, he's been unable to break into the senior side.

To this point of 2019, no player in the AFL has been named as emergency on more occasions.

Then Day's luck turned when he was selected to play against St Kilda in Townsville in round 13.

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"He's worked his backside off to get back in the side, and it was good to have him back," Suns' coach Stuart Dew said after the clash against the Saints.

Things are also looking up for a couple of others who were stuck in the emergency list for the first half of the year: Bulldog Patrick Lipinski (emergency eight times) and Saint Nick Hind (seven times).

Lipinski was given a shot in the Bulldogs' midfield in round 10, and has since averaged 26 disposals per match, career-best numbers.

Hind on the other hand, who was named as one of the Saints' emergencies for seven of the first 11 rounds, has played the last two matches and impressed with four goals.

Unsurprisingly, second-choice ruckmen dominate the emergency lists.

Lion Archie Smith (10 times), Bomber Zac Clarke (seven), Giant Dawson Simpson (nine), Demon Braydon Preuss (seven) and Kangaroo Tom Campbell (eight) are at the top of their respective teams.

Port Adelaide has named the most unique emergencies, with 22 players across the first 13 rounds. GWS has named the fewest, with only 11 in the first 13 matches.

Adelaide: Myles Poholke, Darcy Fogarty (6)

Brisbane: Archie Smith (10)

Carlton: Matthew Kennedy (7)

Collingwood: Ben Crocker (10)

Essendon: Zac Clarke (7)

Fremantle: Mitchell Crowden (10)

Geelong: James Parsons (10)

Gold Coast: Sam Day (11)

GWS: Jackson Hatley, Dawson Simpson (9)

Hawthorn: Kaiden Brand (8)

Melbourne: Braydon Preuss (7)

North Melbourne: Tom Campbell (8)

Port Adelaide: Sam Mayes (9)

Richmond: Connor Menadue (8)

St Kilda: Nick Hind (7)

Sydney: James Rowbottom (8)

West Coast: Josh Smith (10)

Western Bulldogs: Patrick Lipinski (8)

Emergencies update to round 14.