AFL squad average age 2025: Collingwood has oldest list on record

Kieran Francis

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AFL squad average age 2025: Collingwood has oldest list on record image

Collingwood has recorded the oldest AFL list average age on record - breaking their mark set last season.

Led by the likes of Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom and Jeremy Howe, the Magpies' average squad age is currently 26.4 years of age, surpassing their figure of 25.6 in 2024.

Data on squad ages has only been compiled since 2001.

The Sporting News has all the details.

AFL DRAFT NEWS: 

AFL squad average age 2025

After re-signing Pendlebury (37 years old), Howe (34) and Sidebottom (34), Collingwood comfortably have the oldest list in the AFL.

Geelong have tumbled from second to fifth after the retirements of Tom Hawkins and Zach Tuohy.

Surprisingly, both Melbourne and Western Bulldogs sit in the top four for average age, while Brisbane look primed for another flag assault in second.

Last season's bolters Hawthorn have the 11th oldest list, while Gold Coast come in at ninth with excuses of their lack of finals running thin.

In a slight surprise, both St Kilda and Essendon sit in the bottom five, with their lists looking more at a rebuilding age than finals contender.

  1. Collingwood 26.4 years of age
  2. Brisbane 25.4
  3. Melbourne 25.4
  4. Western Bulldogs 25.3
  5. Geelong 25.2
  6. Carlton 25
  7. Sydney 25
  8. Adelaide 24.8
  9. Gold Coast 24.8
  10. Port Adelaide 24.7
  11. Hawthorn 24.6
  12. Fremantle 24.5
  13. GWS 24.3
  14. St Kilda 24.2
  15. Essendon 24.1
  16. West Coast 24
  17. Richmond 23.9
  18. North Melbourne 23.8

When does the 2025 AFL season start?

The 2025 AFL season will begin on Thursday, March 6 with a blockbuster between premiers Brisbane and Geelong at the Gabba.

This match will be the first of four in the 'Opening Round', which sees the AFL teams in the eastern seaboard states host the first games of the season.

Details of Round 1 are yet to be released but it's likely that the traditional 'season opener' between Carlton and Richmond will be on Thursday, March 13 at the MCG.

Kieran Francis

Kieran Francis Photo

Kieran Francis is a senior editor at The Sporting News based in Melbourne, Australia. He started at Sportal.com.au before being a part of the transition to Sporting News in 2015. Just prior to the 2018 World Cup, he was appointed chief editor of Goal.com in Australia. He has now returned to The Sporting News where his passions lay in football, AFL, poker and cricket - when he is not on holiday.