Despite the departures of premiership players Steve Johnson, James Kelly and Mathew Stokes, the Cats still have one of the older playing squads in the AFL.

The average age of each club’s list is among the many statistics included in the latest edition of Champion Data’s 2016 AFL Prospectus, and it shows that Geelong has the fifth-oldest list in the competition.

The Cats are also fifth when it comes to average games played, although the list was published prior to Essendon recruiting its top-up players, a group that includes Kelly and Stokes.

Average age – by club

1. Fremantle – 25 years and 157 days
2. North Melbourne – 25 years and 55 days
3. Hawthorn – 24 years and 307 days
4. Essendon – 24 years and 259 days*
5. Geelong – 24 years and 201 days
6. West Coast – 24 years and 175 days
7. Sydney Swans – 24 years and 124 days
8. Richmond – 24 years and 95 days
9. Port Adelaide – 24 years and 40 days
10. Carlton – 24 years and 40 days
11. Adelaide – 24 years and 29 days
12. Collingwood – 23 years and 310 days
13. St Kilda – 23 years and 303 days
14. Western Bulldogs – 23 years and 270 days
15. Melbourne – 23 years and 241 days
16. Gold Coast – 23 years and 197 days
17. Greater Western Sydney – 23 years and 99 days
18. Brisbane Lions – 22 years and 343 days 


Average games played – by club

1. North Melbourne – 93.9
2. Hawthorn – 86.6
3. Fremantle – 86.3
4. West Coast – 77.9
5. Geelong – 77.3
6. Essendon – 75.5*
7. Port Adelaide – 72.9
8. Richmond – 71
9. Collingwood – 69.5
10. Sydney Swans – 68.4
11. Adelaide – 62.5
12. Carlton – 60.4
13. St Kilda – 60.2
14. Gold Coast – 59.1
15. Western Bulldogs – 57.7
16. Melbourne – 57.5
17. Greater Western Sydney – 56.9
18. Brisbane Lions – 49

*Please note that the Champion Data statistics were calculated prior to Essendon's suspensions/inclusion of top-up players