AFL 2023: Every club’s list age ranked and analysed

The Bombers don’t have the youngest list in the AFL but they are not far off of it, and new coach Brad Scott wants the club’s supporters to temper their expectations.

Geelong remains the oldest list in the AFL. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

Reigning premier Geelong remains the oldest and most experienced team entering 2023, despite waving goodbye to a trio of veterans over the off-season.

The Cats’ playing list for the coming season has an average age of 25.5 years and has played an average of 92.4 games.

Labelled “too old, too slow” last season, Geelong defied the critics to post an emphatic 81-point triumph over Sydney in the 2022 grand final.

Chris Scott’s team is now the early favourite to go back-to-back in 2023.

The average age of the Cats’ list has dropped slightly from 2022 – when it sat at 25.6 years – following the retirements of Joel Selwood (34 years old), Shaun Higgins (34) and Luke Dahlhaus (30).

However, Geelong still has 12 players who will start next season over the age of 30 – three more than any other team.

Will the Cats’ veteran list get the job done again in 2023? (Photo by Daniel Pockett/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

At the other end of the spectrum, Hawthorn and St Kilda have just one player over 30 on their playing lists.

The Western Bulldogs surprisingly sit as the second-oldest team after securing experienced pair Liam Jones (31) and Rory Lobb (29) during the free agency and trade period.

Brisbane is the third-oldest side, with Richmond rounding out the top four.

Hawthorn’s off-season cleanout which saw the Hawks say goodbye to Jack Gunston (Brisbane), Tom Mitchell (Collingwood), Jaeger O’Meara (Fremantle) and Liam Shiels (retired) leaves it as the youngest team next season with an average age of 23.1 years.

The additions of Liam Jones and Rory Lobb have increased the age of the list at the Bulldogs. Picture: Michael Klein

The Hawks have just three players on their list – Luke Breust, Chad Wingard and Jarman Impey – who have played 150 or more games.

Adelaide is the second-youngest and second-least experienced list, with Essendon and Fremantle also sitting in the bottom-four in both categories.

New Essendon coach Brad Scott warned last month that his young side would take time to climb the ladder.

Brad Scott takes the reins of a young list at the Bombers in 2023. Picture: Michael Klein

“With the demographic of this list, talent is just speculation when they’re 18 or 19,” Scott said.

“I’ve been impressed with the capability on our list, but the reality is and the facts are they’re very young and they’re going to take time to develop and therefore the team is going to take a bit of time to get right.”

A finalist last year, Fremantle lost David Mundy (retired), Blake Acres (Carlton), Griffin Logue (North Melbourne), Darcy Tucker (North Melbourne) and Lloyd Meek (Hawthorn) over the off-season.

Originally published as AFL 2023: Every club’s list age ranked and analysed