Adelaide’s young brigade is amongst the best in the competition according to Champion Data.

A club-by-club analysis ranks Adelaide second in the AFL when assessing the statistical quality of players in the 21-24 age bracket. 

The Crows also have the second most players listed overall in the age group. Gold Coast leads both categories, buoyed by draft concessions provided to the Suns in the club’s introductory years in the competition. In comparison, Adelaide is the only team in the AFL without a player originally selected inside the top nine at the National Draft.

Superstar trio Patrick Dangerfield, Rory Sloane and Taylor Walker headline the list of young Crows, who have already become household names.

But the full list of 21-24 year olds at West Lakes makes for exciting reading.

Josh Jenkins, Andy Otten, Matthew Jaensch, Matthew Wright, Jared Petrenko, Jack Osborn, Shaun McKernan, Tom Lynch, Luke Thompson, Lewis Johnston, Sam Shaw, Daniel Talia, Kyle Hartigan, Brodie Smith, Jarryd Lyons, Luke Brown, Mitch Grigg and Cam Ellis-Yolmen are all approaching the peak of their powers, with Sam Kerridge and Rory Laird to turn 21 by the year’s end.

2013 NAB Rising Star runner-up Brad Crouch turns 21 in January next year.

Data trends suggest players in the AFL historically reach the prime of their careers at age 25, which makes for an exciting forecast for our emerging Crows.