IF EXPERIENCE matters, then Sturt nudges Port Adelaide going into Sunday's grand final.
A comparison of the 23-man squads shows the Double Blues' outfit going into the 2017 decider edges the young Magpies for age and experience.
When comparing games of experience, portadelaidefc.com.au threw together a player's AFL and SANFL background.
That's particularly relevant for the Magpies, where players like Matt White (153) and Matt Lobbe (92) have clearly played the majority of their senior footy at AFL level.
14 Magpies have AFL experience, while Sturt have three with former Kangaroo Scott McMahon playing 124 matches for North Melbourne.
Sturt's squad averages 78 games of senior footy pedigree, while the Magpies are just behind on 64 games.
When squad age is factored in, the Double Blues are the more mature outfit with an average player age of 24 years, 3 months and 8 days.
Port's is 22 years, 6 months and 28 days.
And Sturt also has the Magpies covered for flag experience by virtue of 17 players in the squad also playing in last year's premiership.
But Port has three of its own in Jimmy Toumpas (Eagles - 2011), Will Snelling (West - 2015) and Jarrod Lienert (Sturt - 2016).
Port Adelaide takes on Sturt at 2.40pm on Sunday 24 September at Adelaide Oval.
Port Adelaide's Grand Final Squad
Player | AFL | League | Total | DOB |
Drew | 19 | 19 | 1/10/1998 | |
Austin | 13 | 35 | 48 | 8/07/1995 |
Toumpas | 37 | 38 | 75 | 2/01/1994 |
Bonner | 4 | 32 | 36 | 7/03/1997 |
Lienert | 47 | 47 | 5/08/1994 | |
Rudloff | 17 | 17 | 10/03/1994 | |
Atley | 3 | 17 | 20 | 4/08/1998 |
Palmer | 3 | 54 | 57 | 17/10/1996 |
Lobbe | 92 | 60 | 152 | 12/02/1989 |
Summerton | 209 | 209 | 5/02/1998 | |
Sharrad | 53 | 53 | 27/07/1993 | |
Ah Chee | 27 | 66 | 93 | 21/12/1993 |
Neade | 58 | 40 | 98 | 29/05/1994 |
Howard | 10 | 31 | 41 | 25/03/1996 |
R Young | 40 | 40 | 2/03/1995 | |
Eddy | 3 | 90 | 93 | 26/08/1989 |
Marshall | 3 | 16 | 19 | 8/10/1998 |
T Gray | 29 | 29 | 13/12/1995 | |
White | 153 | 15 | 168 | 15/04/1987 |
Snelling | 1 | 42 | 43 | 6/08/1997 |
Johnson | 5 | 16 | 21 | 31/10/1997 |
Irra | 55 | 55 | 25/03/1994 | |
Hewett | 31 | 31 | 26/02/1997 | |
TOTAL | 412 | 1052 | 27/02/1995 | |
AVERAGE | 63.65 games | 22 years, 6 months, 28 days |
Sturt's Grand Final Squad
Player | AFL games | League games | Total | DOB |
Beard | 145 | 145 | 13/06/1990 | |
Osborn | 65 | 65 | 29/04/1990 | |
Hansen | 89 | 89 | 11/09/1991 | |
Sutcliffe | 24 | 24 | 1/12/1993 | |
Hone | 63 | 63 | 7/08/1996 | |
P. Wilson | 42 | 42 | 11/12/1994 | |
Slimming | 25 | 25 | 8/02/1998 | |
Battersby | 82 | 82 | 7/11/1995 | |
Crocker | 96 | 96 | 18/04/1992 | |
Colquhoun | 16 | 64 | 80 | 20/12/1994 |
Stephens | 99 | 99 | 7/01/1991 | |
Sumner | 72 | 72 | 31/10/1991 | |
Page | 101 | 101 | 2/11/1993 | |
F. Evans | 116 | 116 | 21/01/1991 | |
Gilfoy | 41 | 41 | 7/09/1994 | |
Read | 20 | 20 | 18/07/1996 | |
Kirkwood | 166 | 166 | 4/02/1991 | |
Riley | 25 | 77 | 102 | 13/12/1991 |
Dodd | 10 | 10 | 9/09/1998 | |
Harms | 78 | 78 | 15/06/1991 | |
McMahon | 124 | 43 | 167 | 2/06/1986 |
Crowden | 9 | 9 | 28/04/1999 | |
M. Evans | 96 | 96 | 23/11/1991 | |
TOTAL | 165 | 1623 | 6/06/1993 | |
AVERAGE | 77.73 games | 24 years, 3 months, 8 days |