AFTER drafting and recruiting a host of young players over the past few years, Carlton will enter the 2018 season with the fifth youngest list in the competition, with an average age of 23 years and 244 days.

The Blues are one of only five clubs that have a younger squad than reigning premier Richmond, with Brisbane, Gold Coast, North Melbourne and St Kilda also ranked below the Tigers. 

When it comes to finals experience, Gold Coast is the least experienced, with captain Gary Ablett taking his 17 games of September experience with him to Geelong and dropping the Suns' total to 31.

St Kilda (32) and Melbourne (44) are also very green when it comes to playing finals and both will be expecting to add experience in 2018.

Only six clubs have fewer than 100 games finals experience, with Carlton (56), Essendon (63) and the Brisbane Lions (65) the others.

Clubs ranked from oldest average age to youngest*

Figures based on entire club's list, including category B rookies

 RANKING CLUBAVERAGE AGE (YEARS, DAYS)
1.ADELAdelaide24192
2.HAWHawthorn 24 179 
3.COLLCollingwood2498
4.GEELGeelong24 95 
5.PORTPort Adelaide 24 50 
6.GWSGreater Western Sydney2416
7.ESSEssendon23355
8.SYDSydney23 343 
9.MELBMelbourne 23335 
10.FREFremantle 23 292 
11.WCEWest Coast23 282 
12.WBWestern Bulldogs 23 259 
13.RICHRichmond23255
14.CARLCarlton23244
15.STKSt Kilda 23 201 
16.BLBrisbane Lions 23128 
17.NMFCNorth Melbourne 23 117 
18.GCFCGold Coast23 22 

*Stats supplied by AFL statistician Cameron Sinclair

Three clubs will go into next season with five 200-game players – Geelong, Port Adelaide and Sydney – while St Kilda will have none after the retirements of Nick Riewoldt, Leigh Montagna and Sean Dempster.

West Coast has the most players on its list yet to debut with 16 after adding six players through the national draft and three new rookies.  

First-year players Daniel Venables, Josh Rotham, Willie Rioli and Jake Waterman, second-year tall forward Matthew Allen, and category-B rookies Tarir Bayok and Francis Watson didn't play in 2017. 

Meanwhile, Adelaide has backed experience in its quest to atone for this year's Grand Final defeat, assembling what will be the oldest list in the competition in 2018.

The Crows had the seventh oldest group in 2017 but have rocketed to the top through the recruitment of midfielders Sam Gibson, 31, and Bryce Gibbs, 28, and two mature-age rookies. 

It has lifted their average age as of round one next season to 24 years and 192 days, ahead of Hawthorn (24 and 179), Collingwood (24 and 98), Geelong (24 and 95) and Greater Western Sydney (24 and 16).

The Crows have a League average of three players over 30, but they lead the competition for players aged 25-29, with 19 (equal with Geelong). 

Hawthorn has the Crows covered for average games experience, with 74, also leading the competition for average goals (59) and players with 100-199 games played (14).

Summary of 2018 AFL club lists

 CLUBAVERAGE AGE (YEARS, DAYS)AVERAGE GAMESFINALS100+ GAMESYET TO DEBUTFROM OTHER AFL CLUBS
ADELAdelaide24192681651413 10
BLBrisbane Lions231285465 1112
CARLCarlton2324456567819
COLLCollingwood249868116131012
ESSEssendon2335558639911
FREFremantle232926314413128
GEELGeelong24956520913 1210
GCFCGold Coast 232260317910
GWSGreater Western Sydney241664143101111
HAWHawthorn241797426517911
MELBMelbourne2333557448912
NMFCNorth Melbourne23117 5210710119
PORTPort Adelaide245073109171013
RICHRichmond232556211411 88
STKSt Kilda2320153321010 13
SYDSydney 23343 6630311124
WCEWest Coast232826416915168
WBWestern Bulldogs2325956129976
AVERAGE2333862126111010

- with Nathan Schmook, AFL Media