Last year’s runners-up Adelaide will enter 2018 as the most mature side in the AFL, hoping that extra experience will take them one step further to a premiership.

With Bryce Gibbs and Sam Gibson joining, the Crows average is 24 years, 192 days marginally ahead of Hawthorn (24 years, 179 days).

Perhaps surprisingly, Collingwood have the third most experienced list in the AFL in a season where the Pies will be hoping to return to finals action for the first time since 2013.

At the other end of the table, wooden spoon favourites Gold Coast and North Melbourne have the youngest lists. Remarkably, the Roos have gone from having the oldest list to second youngest in just two years.

AFL clubs by age 2018

1 Adelaide 24 192
2 Hawthorn 24 179
3 Collingwood 24 98
4 Geelong 24 95
5 Port Adelaide 24 50
6 Greater Western Sydney 24 16
7 Essendon 23 355
8 Sydney 23 343
9 Melbourne 23 335
10 Fremantle 23 292
11 West Coast 23 282
12 Western Bulldogs 23 259
13 Richmond 23 255
14 Carlton 23 244
15 St Kilda 23 201
16 Brisbane Lions 23 128
17 North Melbourne 23 117
18 Gold Coast 23 22

 

In terms of games played, Hawthorn will have the most experienced list in 2018, marginally ahead of Port Adelaide, whose raft of new recruits gives them an average of 67 games cross their list.

AFL clubs by games played 2018

1 Hawthorn 74
2 Port Adelaide 73
3 Adelaide 68
4 Collingwood 68
5 Sydney 66
6 Geelong 65
7 Greater Western Sydney 64
8 West Coast 64
9 Fremantle 63
10 Richmond 62
11 Essendon 58
12 Melbourne 57
13 Carlton 56
14 Western Bulldogs 56
15 Brisbane Lions 54
16 Gold Coast 53
17 St Kilda 53
18 North Melbourne 52