AFL season 2015: Does Geelong, Hawthorn, Adelaide, Western Bulldogs, Port Adelaide or Brisbane have the best under 22 players

VOTE: Bulldogs, Geelong, Hawthorn, Adelaide, Port Adelaide and Brisbane — which AFL club is blessed with the best under 22s?

AFL ROUND 5 - Sydney Swans v Western Bulldogs at the SCG. Western Bulldogs' Marcus Bontempelli gets away from his opponent. Picture: Toby Zerna

AFTER yet another breakout performance in defeating Sydney in Round 6, the Western Bulldogs are the talk and the toast of the AFL.

And while the season is still in its infancy, so is the Bulldogs’ emerging crop of stars who made up the youngest team to take the field at the weekend.

But are the boys from the west the best kids in the competition? Which AFL club has paved the way to future success by assembling the best batch of players under the age of 22?

Vote for your pick of the first six clubs in our three-part series below.

Tomorrow: Richmond, Collingwood, St Kilda, Melbourne, Fremantle, West Coast.

Wednesday: Carlton, Essendon, North Melbourne, GWS, Gold Coast, Sydney.

The winning team each day will feature in our under 22 final on Thursday.

WESTERN BULLDOGS

Marcus Bontempelli

Jack Macrae

Nathan Hrovat

Jake Stringer

Clay Smith

Lachie Hunter

Lin Jong

Tom Boyd

Fletcher Roberts

Mitch Honeychurch

Zaine Cordy

Bailey Dale

Caleb Daniel

Declan Hamilton

Lukas Webb

Tobby McLean

Josh Prudden

If you’d said 18 months ago that the Dogs would have arguably the most promising list of all 18 AFL clubs, you’d probably have been laughed all the way to the loony bin. But not only is the team full of young talent, a staggering number of them are in the best 22 and performing each week. And now they’ve knocked off Sydney in Sydney, despite having their youngest team on the park since Round 6, 2013. The Dogs’ Round 5 team had an average age of 23.72, more than three years younger than Sydney’s average of 26.94. As far as the players go, Jack McCrae has picked up where he left off last year and isn’t 21 years old yet, Jake Stringer has logged a breakout six-goal performance, Lin Jong is a great story and a prolific contested possession winner and Mitch Honeychurch has shown promise. Then there’s “the Bont”, who might just be the best of the lot, and Tom Boyd, the million dollar man and future of the Whitten Oval forward line.

IS DEVELOPMENT MORE IMPORTANT THAN COACHING? LISTEN TO THIS WEEK’S SUPERFOOTY PODCAST BELOW:

GEELONG

Jackson Thurlow

Jed Bews

Brad Hartman

Lincoln McCarthy

Darcy Lang

Cory Gregson

Dean Gore

Jordan Cunico

Nakia Cockatoo

Jake Kolodjashnij

Jarrad Jansen

The jury is out on the Cats’ youngsters as the club slowly filters out the last of its premiership heroes while blooding the new breed. Jackson Thurlow has been a solid contributor in his three games so far in 2015, averaging 17 disposals and six marks, Jed Bews has played every game this season after debuting last year - with varying levels of impact - while Nakia Cockatoo’s name was being thrown about as a likely Rising Star award winner this year after his NAB Cup performances.

Bradley Hill has emerged as one of Hawthorn’s most exciting players.

HAWTHORN

Bradley Hill

Jono O’Rourke

Billy Hartung

Jed Anderson

Tim O’Brien

Alex Woodward

Daniel Howe

Marc Pittonet

Teia Miles

James Sicily

Kaiden Brand

Dallas Willsmore

Zac Brewster

Opportunities are few and far between for youngsters when a team is in premiership mode almost every year. Brad Hill has entrenched himself in Hawthorn’s side and has speed to burn, but the rest have had only tiny roles thus far. Greater Western Sydney’s former No. 2 draft pick Jono O’Rourke has played just one game after heading south in the off-season, while we’ll be seeing more of Billy Hartung, who’s been solid in his 10 AFL games so far.

ADELAIDE

Brad Crouch

Rory Laird

Matt Crouch

Charlie Cameron

Harrison Wigg

Harry Dear

Jake Lever

Mitchell McGovern

Reilly Knight

Rory Atkins

Sam Siggins

Only a few of the Crows’ babies have gotten on the park this season, with both the Crouch brothers yet to play a game after big years last year. Charlie Cameron is getting games but ultimately waiting his turn behind Eddie Betts, Rory Laird has been solid but the rest of the team’s youngest talent has been virtually unsighted.

Chad Wingard has been pivotal to the Power’s success over the past two seasons.

PORT ADELAIDE

Chad Wingard

Jake Neade

Ollie Wines

Jarman Impey

Sam Colquhoun

Tom Clurey

Brendon Ah Chee

Karl Amun

Logan Austin

Darcy Byrne-Jones

William Frampton

Mitch Harvey

Dougal Howard

Jesse Palmer

Mason Shaw

Every AFL club would give their left leg to snare Wingard and Wines, who are on the cusp of elite status after brilliant years in 2014. Outside of the gun pair, however, much remains to be seen. Jake Neade and Jarman Impey have missed a couple of games already this season through non-selection (Neade) and injury (Impey), while Brendon Ah Chee is highly rated but has played just two games and spent both of them in the green sub’s vest.

BRISBANE

Justin Clarke

James Aish

Darcy Gardiner

Marco Paparone

Michael Close

Jackson Paine

Daniel McStay

Nick Robertson

Tom Cutler

Josh Clayton

Harris Andrews

Jaden McGrath

Josh McGuinness

Josh Watts

Liam Dawson

There isn’t much to get excited about in Brisbane at the moment, so fans might want to hang their hats on the young talent the club has in the oven. James Aish is the 19-year-old midfielder on everyone’s wishlist, though his start to 2015 has left a little to be desired, playing just three games and averaging 13 disposals. But those in the know say he’s got all the makings of a star. Justin Clarke has been OK, while Harris Andrews is all arms and legs but has kicked a goal in each of his three games since debuting in Round 3. Daniel McStay has done the same, booting five goals in five games. Marco Paparone is only 20 years old and has averaged 19 possessions a game this year, though there are critics questioning whether he (like much of the Lions’ list) has what it takes to become an elite player.

Originally published as AFL season 2015: Does Geelong, Hawthorn, Adelaide, Western Bulldogs, Port Adelaide or Brisbane have the best under 22 players