Damien Comer admits Galway got 'a bit of stick' for their lack of squad depth last year, particularly after coming up short against Kerry in the All-Ireland final.
Crucially, the experienced attacker is content that manager Padraic Joyce has 'really gotten that under control' this year with 33 different players used en route to Sunday's Allianz League final.
Opponents Mayo have used the same amount of players in their seven games so far, 33, though a high level of experimentation was always anticipated in Kevin McStay's first season as manager.
For Joyce, the large number of players used is more to do with addressing the issue of their lack of punch from the bench in 2022.
Galway substitutes did provide 4-2 between them in the Connacht semi-final mauling of Leitrim last year but it proved an outlier as in the four games after that, they returned just 0-1 in total from subs.
They could have done with a super sub in the All-Ireland decider in particular but came up empty handed again while opponents Kerry got a 0-2 return from impact sub Killian Spillane to win by four.
"It's probably an area where we would have fallen down and took a bit of stick for last year in the final, not having enough lads to come in and change the game and fair play to the management, they have really gotten that under control this year," said Comer. "Lads have put their hands up, it's great."
Across six Championship games last year, just one less than they've played in this year's league, Joyce used only 19 players, a full 14 less than they've used so far in Division 1.
"This year, whether it's through injury or form, the new lads have gotten 70 minutes in different games and some of them have got that in two or three games," noted Comer.
"That stands to you, playing high-pressure Division 1 football, high-paced games, big crowds. You can't get used to that from five minutes at the end of the game.
"Fair play to the management, they've unearthed a few really good players. Hopefully they can continue that form now going into the league final and the Championship."
Comer himself is delighted just to be involved again having initially feared he was 'a goner' for the season when he suffered what he said felt like a serious knee injury in the Round 2 league loss to Roscommon.
It turned out not to be an ACL setback, as first feared, and he ultimately missed four games before returning last weekend against Kerry.
"The way the ball came in, my right foot was behind me and I went to push off it when I landed from the jump and I just hyperextended it back," explained former captain Comer. "The initial shock of it too was there because I had feared the worst but thankfully I got good news on the scan.
"The scan results came back and it was just bad bone bruising. It was very tender around the two bones, I was lucky I didn't fracture them. The ligaments were a bit stretched but thankfully no serious damage."
Galway won't begin their Connacht championship campaign until April 23, against Mayo or Roscommon, affording them a three-week break after the league decider. It had been reported that they would use some of this time for a pre-Championship training camp abroad though Comer ruled this out, saying it was the 'first I've heard of it anyway'.
He said all of their focus is on Sunday's clash with neighbours Mayo at Croke Park when they will challenge for a first league title win since 1981.
"It's something you'll always hear about around Galway," said Comer of the 42-year wait. "I suppose it's time we closed that gap, or tried to change that. When we talk about All-Irelands, our management team, the boys have All-Ireland medals but they don't have a league medal, and they've mentioned that too. It is a Division 1 title, a national title, and we'll be hoping to go out and put in a performance to try to win it. But they are not easily won as you can see from the long absence."
