Richmond in 2026 will have the 3rd youngest & inexperienced list (AFL site)

[one-eyed]

Average age: 23.8 (16th oldest)

Average games: 58.7 (16th most experienced)

Most games: Nick Vlastuin (255)

Players with 100-plus games: 9

Players with less than 50 games: 29




https://x.com/AFL/status/1997139749426130991

Average Games

Collingwood  94.7
Geelong        89.3
Brisbane       88.6
Sydney         84.9
Carlton         79.3
Melbourne    79.0
GWS Giants  77.0
St Kilda        74.4
W.Bulldogs    73.4
Adelaide       72.6
North Melb.  72.0
Hawthorn     71.4
Fremantle     67.2
Port Adelaide 64.9
Gold Coast    63.9
Richmond     58.7
Essendon      57.7
West Coast   54.1

https://www.afl.com.au/news/1457509/list-analysis-where-your-club-ranks-for-age-and-experience

[one-eyed]

All-Australians: 1 (Tom Lynch)

Rising Star winners: 0

Top-10 draft picks: 9 (Sam Lalor, Tim Taranto, Jacob Hopper, Sam Cumming, Josh Smillie, Sam Grlj, Nick Vlastuin, Dion Prestia, Josh Gibcus)


No. of top-10 draft picks on list in 2026   

Gold Coast    12
Essendon      10   
GWS Giants    9   
North Melb.    9   
Richmond       9
Carlton          8   
St Kilda         8   
Adelaide        7    
Fremantle      6   
Brisbane        5   
Port Adelaide 5   
W.Bulldogs    5   
Collingwood   4   
Geelong        4   
Hawthorn      4   
Melbourne     4   
Sydney         4   
West Coast    4

https://www.afl.com.au/news/1444582/list-analysis-which-club-has-the-most-all-australians-top-10-picks

[Stripes]

All-Australians: 1 (Tom Lynch)

Rising Star winners: 0

I wonder how this compares to other teams. We never seem to be nominated for these types of awards. How Vlaustin didn't make the AA team last year is criminal. One of these years, we'll actually win a Rising Star award too - just not while Karen Cornes is still a representative 

[Andyy]

All-Australians: 1 (Tom Lynch)

Rising Star winners: 0

I wonder how this compares to other teams. We never seem to be nominated for these types of awards. How Vlaustin didn't make the AA team last year is criminal. One of these years, we'll actually win a Rising Star award too - just not while Karen Cornes is still a representative 

Vlastuin should have had 2-3 by now easily IMO.

If he was wearing Geelong hoops he'd be a monty.

[Stripes]

All-Australians: 1 (Tom Lynch)

Rising Star winners: 0

I wonder how this compares to other teams. We never seem to be nominated for these types of awards. How Vlaustin didn't make the AA team last year is criminal. One of these years, we'll actually win a Rising Star award too - just not while Karen Cornes is still a representative 

Vlastuin should have had 2-3 by now easily IMO.

If he was wearing Geelong hoops he'd be a monty.

Definitely, or Collingwood/Essendon/Hawks/Sydney etc. When Richmond towelled up Port in the 2020 prelim, it hurt poor Karen's feelings. 

[Hard Roar Tiger]

The AA award is a laughable recognition of talent like the Academy Awards.

[the claw]

I hate it when they just base it on overall lists.

Just a bit of trivia for want of a better word.

Last year we  played with an average of 11.13 players with less than 50 games. The most was 14 players and the least 9.
The average games played for each team fielded  was 1976.73 games averaging 85.94 games per player.

The youngest team we fielded was 23yrs 238 days. with 1451 games  with just 63 games average.
The oldest team we fielded was 26yrs 30 days.  with 2465 games with 107 games average.

The average age for the 23 games was too hard to work out but id guess was somewhere around 24 or 25 yrs give or take.

We were older than the opposition in just 7 games and i reckon games played would be similar.
Interesting though was the games we won apart from the carlton round 2 game the age and games played for each team was similar.

We copped our fair share of poor  defeats with some of our most experienced sides although some of the loaded sides with under 50 gamers was the same.

I sort of look at the chasm between the vets and the juniors both have plenty of talent but the middle tier continue to be a problem.

Next year i think our age and games played stats will go backwards with more of the juniors surpassing the middle tier and some of the vets falling even more off the pace.

Any way make of it what you will but overall list stats are not indicative of game day.

[Hard Roar Tiger]

I am guessing that a player like KMac would be exhibit A to your point where he plays every game at 31 and then gets delisted. I am not sure of the value in playing a guy week in, week out in those circumstances.
I am an advocate - a huge one - for some of our best players from the flag era playing on and being on field mentors to our kids. I think Lynch is so important to Armstrong, Faull and even Sims over the next couple of years and they develop.
I don’t think they need to play every week and this is where Yze can perhaps be a little stronger in his coaching with both games played and playing time being tweaked to optimise the development of kids and them having the support of a handful of our premiership players while they are still fit and able.
While those stats are a useful reference, it is still only superficial and knowing how we are using our players on game day helps link the stats back to player role.

[the claw]

Have been a big advocate of playing our vets and experienced players but not at the expense of kids McIntosh certainly fits that bill.

Broad Prestia and Short may well fall into that category given the young talent we have. Short in particular imo provides very little to a young team.

I agree lynch is badly needed and imo its important we play two of the talented kpfs we have bought to the club alongside of him.Atm that seems like it would be Faull and Armstrong.

While i think Mansell lacking  his toughness experience and output makes him an ideal player to be around the likes of Hotton, Campbell who i think should be on a wing,  and Algar in the fwd half.

I still think all of Lalor, McAuliffe, Smillie, Cumming with Hotton rotating need to play, Taranto and Hopper provide old heads and leadership as does Nankervis. Is Prestia needed. Are we going to play him every game just to give him a gentle nudge at seasons end.

Last the main point i was making was overall list age and experience stats are very decieving and have little to do with the actual teams we field.

Average age would have been 25 or more and the average games played last year was basically 86. Compared to overall list of average age 23.8 and games played 58.7.

If we play more kids which should be the aim and the vets and mid tier are pushed out then its possible we will have less games played and the age will be less as well and closer to the overall list profile.Off set that the kids will be one year older and play more games.