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

*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

- with Nathan Schmook, AFL Media