It's largely irrelevant whether a team's list is a month or two older or younger. However, statistics and common sense tell us that teams with mature, experienced players are more likely to be premiership contenders, particularly if they have a dash of youthful brilliance to add to the mix.
For the record, incoming players from this year's trade/free agency/draft period; 3 players are younger than 20 1 player is younger than 24 but over 20. 4 players are older than 24.
If you include our SSP and MSD additions: 3 players are younger than 20. 4 players are younger than 24 but over 20. 5 players are older than 24.
That seems to be a good blend of youth and experience to me.
As i suspected, we have actually got older, relatively speaking, in this current off-season AND we've lost a-grade talent.
Why people are fawning over our list management team i still cannot comprehend.
There's some dodgy figures there!
According to an AFL article by Cal Twomey in June 2025, the average age per team in 2025 was:
Collingwood – 28.5 years Geelong – 26.5 Brisbane – 26.5 Carlton – 26.2 Sydney – 26.1 Western Bulldogs – 26 Melbourne – 25.9 GWS – 25.8 Hawthorn – 25.7 Adelaide – 25.6 Port Adelaide – 25.4 Gold Coast – 25.3 St Kilda – 25.2 North Melbourne – 25.1 Essendon – 24.9 West Coast – 24.8 Richmond – 24.7 Fremantle – 24.6
While the average age of the players who left us is one year older than the average age of players who have come in, I can't see how our average age could drop from 26.2 to 24.9 and from 4th oldest to 6th oldest. Collingwood's average age dropping from 28.5 to 25.6 is unbelievable given that most of their veterans are going around again.
It seems that there are several "average age" tables with differing values. Draftguru has our 2026 average age as 25.1 and ranked 6th in terms of age and experience.
And who exactly are the A-graders we've lost? It's been a while since Doc was an All-Australian.
Just checked the scorecard and. apart from the slow over rates by both teams, the run rates are interesting: The Bazballers managed 4.37 runs per over and we're sitting on 5.17. There's not that much in it but it is significant when you consider the Pom's batting philosophy and their allegedly better bowling attack.
A bit of mutual admiration from probably the two best left arm quicks to have played Test cricket:
Starc declined to call himself the GOAT of left-arm pace, saying Wasim Akram was "still a far better bowler than I am."
While Akram tweeted, "Super Starc! Proud of you, mate. Your incredible hard work sets you apart, and it was only a matter of time before you crossed my tally of wickets . I am pleased to give this to you! Go well, and keep soaring to new heights in your stellar career."
It certainly makes a difference when you go into a Test with two openers with a positive, get on with the job, attitude.
There was an interesting discussion about wangers on the wireless before play started. Boof explained how relying on wangers at practice got batsmen looking in the wrong direction and not being able to judge a bowled ball's trajectory. He wasn't saying that they should be used but that it's easy to overuse them.
I'm a fan of Nathan Lyon but his petulance about being left out of the Test is over the top. He bowled two overs in Perth (admittedly there wasn't much opportunity for more) and the pace bowlers did the job. You certainly couldn't leave out Starc, Boland or Doggett and Neser did OK. Lyion should take a leaf out of Boland's book and take the rough with the smooth.
That's the way I see things And it's probably 'it' in a nutshell and the centre of the whole debate. It goes to the heart of the thread title-"More than one way to skin a cat."
Of course KPP's are important. They are the 'backbone' of any side.
But as is generally agreed...they take time. We drafted a spine in one draft, talented kids, that still took several years to hit their peak. The problem was that when they did we were lacking in the supportive talent.
There are two ways to do it. Draft the talls, and develop them, in the hope that when they reach their peak there is enough supportive talent around. Or lay a foundation of talent and then bring them in via trade and free agency, ready to go, or well on the way to reaching their full potential.
The first one may be the more traditional way. I suspect the second option is the direction the club has taken.
It's basically what were arguing about and I don't think anyone's going to change their mind before we see what happens on-field in the next year or two.
And there are other options.
There's the low risk, high reward approach of bringing in untried or discarded talls as rookies through the Rookie Draft, SSP, MSD or as Cat B rookies. Austin's had many goes at that with Luke Parks, Oscar McDonald, Dom Akuei, Sam Durdin, Hudson O'Keeffe and Matt Duffy and may finally succeed with Skull. And that leads me to the final option; discovering/developing a KPP by changing their role.
Liam Jones is the obvious example but older folk may remember Gordon Collis who couldn't get a kick at CHF but won a Brownlow when switched to CHB. Then there's Jack Silvagni, who went from a "third tall" forward to everyone's favourite CHB in just 12 games and won a monster contract as a result.
Skull's role has changed from ruck/forward to KPF/ruck and the signs are good so far. With some notable exceptions like Paul Salmon, Cowboy Neale and Darren Jolly, turning ruckmen into key forwards isn't all that successful but Skull is a reliable kick for goal and that's a good start.
The tall that I would have liked us to have gone after in the draft is Louis Emmett but the Doggies got in first. Emmett is a ruck forward but he's said to be earmarked for a KPD role at AFL level.
Another outstanding performance from Mitch Starc that takes him past Wasim Akram with most wickets by a left arm quick. Starc did it in fewer Tests but probably had the advantage of faster, bouncier pitches.
Another wicket in his first over too!
The Poms have built a decent total though, with Root finally getting a century here. Our batsmen are going to have work a lot harder than they did in Perth.
Khawaja out is a step in the right direction but replacing him with Inglis?
Some people on this site regard KPP as less important than they have been, but a lot of them got targeted and sought after by clubs this year....Jamarra, JSOS, Charlie, the lad from Swines to Collingwood. Large % of the trades if you ask me. If they are so "unimportant", why did club go after them?
I don't think that anyone is arguing the KPPs are less important. The point is that there's less risk involved in bringing in established KPPs through trades and free agency than through the draft. Eight of the 50 players drafted are KPPs and eight of the 36 players traded or taken as free agents are KPPs.
"I’ll look after the forwards and some of the offence. They’ve had a pretty strong offensive profile particularly from the back half over the last 12-18 months, but some of our connection inside 50 hasn’t been to the level we’d like so we’ve got some work to do there. It’s pretty exciting that we’ve got some fresh players coming in and a new look in the front half, some new opportunities and ways to move the ball inside 50 and create scoring opportunities. The list itself is exciting: to come in and put a new spin on things with some new ideas with a coaching group that is really open and receptive to that has been enjoyable."
On Carlton’s new forward dynamic:
"Having been at the Pies, that was one of the great strengths: not being solely reliant on one or two players, but having such an even contribution in the front half and becoming quite dynamic in the way we played and moved in the forward 50. I see similarities with Carlton, having brought in some new players. Some of it is reliant on how we move the ball inside 50, but having different avenues to goal is also important. When I look at the forward line and how we’re operating over pre-season, I certainly see the upside with that. We’ve got Harry down there who’s going to be a beacon and draw some football, while bringing in Will Hayward and Ben Ainsworth, there are some exciting options inside 50."
On Will Hayward’s impact:
"Definitely there’s the leadership side to it. His talent has been on show from day one and he’s one of those guys that has an incredible work rate. From his time at Sydney, he’s very role-compliant which is going to be important for us. He’s got the ability to play different roles in the front half and I’ve also enjoyed watching him compete in the air and apply pressure at ground level - he’s that multi-faceted forward, which is important. With the leadership side of things, he’s come from a great culture and environment so he’ll add to us enormously in that regard."
On Harry McKay:
"I still think he’s got so much upside, Harry. For his size and his work rate and his ability in the air, he’s going to draw the best defender each week. Importantly, he’s got a role of making others around him better. He’s clearly going to be a focal point for us in the front half: if he’s playing this role, it might open up opportunities for others as well. I think he can take his game to another level, there aren’t many of his size and shape that move the way he does. He’s had a really good start to pre-season and he’s a great character around the group with good leadership qualities. A lot of it will be how he allows our forward line to function: how he’s creating space, how he’s able to bring the ball to ground, his ability to apply pressure in the front half. That will allow us to have an impact as a collective - he’ll have days where he’s kicking four and five, he’ll also have days where he kicks one or two but is bringing others into the game that we’ll be looking for."
On a new-look club:
"It does feel different, to a degree. I’ve been fortunate to be in a few different environments, and I think footy clubs by and large are full of great people with great intentions that are striving towards the same thing. The thing I’ve enjoyed is the synergy within the coaching group: ‘Vossy’ has done a great job leading and driving that. His leadership qualities are outstanding, and he’s brought in a group of coaches that complement each other but we’re able to have robust discussions as well. Beyond the coaching group, the support staff are terrific people, which goes a long way to team success. The thing with Collingwood is you saw the product on-field, and a lot of the players are the frontmen for that, but the staff around that that build out a club are so important as well."
On emerging youth:
"There are a lot of guys that I don’t know, and I’m getting a fresh lens on them. I’m excited by some of the youth: there’s some talent there that might not have had a lot of exposure but can bring some upside to us. It’s nice to come in with a fresh set of eyes, observe and help develop and mould some of these young players as well."
It's good to see that Josh is looking to improve our connection inside the forward 50. I think that the addition of Will Hayward is a significant part of how we're going to go about that, and how were going to add to our avenues to goal. I'm looking forward to seeing whether Will lives up to expectations and how much his presence improves our scoring power.
Don't give too much weight to a dozen people voting. We could hold the election in my lounge room.
That could be an interesting gathering Lods. Do you have a date in mind?
Building a list isn't just drafting A-graders, however you define them, but it's a factor. More important is using trades, free agency, rookie selections and contract management to maintain a sustainable list with depth and the ability to execute the gameplan.
Without wishing to re-ignite an old debate, SOS wasn't sacked because of his list management, it was club politics. Furthermore, he had signalled his intention to move on. In that context, how many players had SOS added to our list who were at A-grade level at the time of his departure? I would say one; Jacob Weitering (Charlie, Harry and Sam Walsh's break out years were still to come).
How many A-graders has Austin added to our list to date? Again, I would say one; George Hewett. There are plenty of B-graders to go with George and a couple of potential A-graders, if they live up to the hype.
As an aside, Brad Lloyd reckons that we have three A-graders - Cripps, Weitering and Walsh - and four B-graders - McKay, Cerra, Hewett and Saad.
Despite the emphasis on trades and free agents, Austin still drafted some pretty handy players in his first four drafts; Motlop, Ollie Hollands, Cowan, Moir and Wilson.
At the same time, he brought in Williams, Saad, Boyd, Hewett, Lewis Young, Cerra, Acres, O'Keeffe and Matt Carroll and, apart from Oscar McDonald, not one delisted player among them
See, there's a point to make here, but when you include Wilson in 'quality players' you devalue the rest of them.
You did similar with pumping up Binns' tyres not too long ago. Well he was 'so bad' that we paid him to not be here, hardly a ringing endoresement like you would have us all believe!
Wilson won a place in the team in round 22 and improved with every game. He may not be best 23 just yet, but he's certainly got a future.
You must be mistaking me for someone else, Pinot perhaps, because I've always had my doubts about Binns. I think I mentioned his VFL B&F recently but that's about it.
To be fair I think his first 4 drafts he was trading rather than drafting.
Despite the emphasis on trades and free agents, Austin still drafted some pretty handy players in his first four drafts; Motlop, Ollie Hollands, Cowan, Moir and Wilson.
At the same time, he brought in Williams, Saad, Boyd, Hewett, Lewis Young, Cerra, Acres, O'Keeffe and Matt Carroll and, apart from Oscar McDonald, not one delisted player among them
