With the North Melbourne 44-man list now finalised, we can now have a deeper look into the make-up of our squad.

It’s no secret that North is building to the future, and this is reflected in the age of the squad for 2018.

22 players are currently aged 21 or younger, highlighting the excitement around a young group. This is a significant increase on 2017, when 18 of the 44 were over 21.

16 players fall into the 22-26 year-old bracket, with many of this group holding plenty of AFL experience.

Of the remaining six players, four are between the ages of 27 and 29, with only two 30+ year olds in the squad.

Age breakdown

Current average age - 22 years, 197 days
Average age, Round 1 2017 - 23 years, 218 days

18-21 year-olds = 22
22-26 year-olds = 16
27-29 year-olds = 4
30+ year-olds = 2

With such a young group, you could expect there may be a lack of experience in the side.

However, even with half of the squad having played under 20 AFL games, the list still averages 53 games.

This is largely due to many of the 22-26 year old group already enjoying significant AFL experience and opportunity since joining the club. The likes of Shaun Atley (25, 154 games) Ben Cunnington (26, 165 games) and Jack Ziebell (26, 166 games) are still relatively young, but are seasoned North players.

Game breakdown

Total – 2332
Average - 53 games

0-50 games =28
50-100 games =6
100-150 games =3
150+ games = 7

It’s not just youth and/or experience that win games though. In the AFL, size and use of the body can be critical.

From Nathan Hrovat to Braydon Preuss, there is a big variation in body types across the 44-man list.

The recruitment of 201cm Tristan Xerri, in addition to our current ruck crop, which includes Preuss (206cm) and Todd Goldstein (201cm) brings the team’s average height to 188.9cm, with an average weight of 84.6kg.

Body breakdown

Average height - 188.9cm
Average height - 84.6kg