Bound for glory?

Adelaide was the highest scoring side in 2016. No side has been the highest scoring team in consecutive years and not won a premiership since North Melbourne in 1993-94.

The Crows's goal rush last season was fuelled by Eddie Betts, Tom Lynch, Taylor Walker and Josh Jenkins, who kicked 226 goals between them - 57 per cent of Adelaide's goals.

Get set ... go!

Adelaide enjoys a friendly start to the 2017 season with only three games in the first 10 weeks against top eight sides from 2016.

• Season preview: The promise is there - now it's time for the Crows to deliver

Lion cubs

No team has a more inexperienced list than the Lions. They enter season 2017 with an average of only 41 career games. Twenty-one players on their list have played under 50 games.

Target men wanted

Goal-kicking has remained a major issue in recent seasons for the Lions. No player has kicked more than 50 goals in a season since Jonathan Brown in 2010.

• Season preview: Steel and structure are top of coach Fagan's to-do list

Recycled Blues

Brendon Bolton continues to bring in experience to bolster the Blues. No team in 2017 has more players listed who played senior games at other clubs than Carlton's 16. Seven of the recycled Blues arrrived from GWS - three on deadline day in October's NAB AFL Trade Period.

Steady at the back

In 2016 the Blues' defence was competitive despite their poor finish to the season. They were ranked 10th in the comp for points conceded, averaging 89 points against.

Cripps' rise and rise

Young midfielder Patrick Cripps has grown once again over the summer. He now stands 195cm, the same height as key position players Kristian Jaksch and Jacob Weitering.

• Season preview: All eyes on Bryce Gibbs and the Blues' improving youngsters

Out with the old

Collingwood's list starts the season with average career games of 64, ranking them sixth overall for that stat. However, they are rapidly shedding experience.

During the off-season they lost a combined 1061 games through trades, delistings, free agency moves or retirements. In return they added only 652.

Cold Pies

Another year with more losses than wins will be Collingwood's third consecutive losing season, something Pie fans haven't endured since 1998-2000.

• Season preview: Heavy responsibility sits on a 21-year-old's shoulders

Many happy returns

Going into 2017 the Bombers welcome back a combined total of 1268 games in experience from their 10 returning players.

... and counting

It has been 13 years and 268 premiership season games since Essendon last won a finals match; the 2004 first elimination final against Melbourne.

Since the Bombers did last win a final they've had seven senior coaches: Kevin Sheedy, Matthew Knights, James Hird, Simon Goodwin, Matthew Egan, Mark Thompson and John Worsfold.

Short story

The topped-up Bombers in 2016 were a short kicking side, ranking first for short kicks with a total of 1929 at 87 per game. They were led by Zach Merrett with 150 short kicks and James Kelly (133).

• Season preview: The year's great unknown commodity

All change

Going into 2017 the Dockers have just one player who has played more than 50 consecutive games: Lachie Neale with 68. Only four players have played 22 or more games in a row.

Where will the goals come from?

In three seasons since their Grand Final appearance in 2013 Freo's scoring has dropped from 91 points per game to 71. They ranked third last for scoring in 2016.

Not in the Dockers' favour as they look for greater firepower: they haven't had a key position forward other than Matthew Pavlich kick more than 50 goals in a season since Tony Modra in 1999.

• Season preview: If the Dockers want to keep Fyfe, winning is a good place to start

On your marks

If Harry Taylor plays forward it will only add to the Cats' marking power. Last season they were the number one ranked team for both marks inside 50 and contested marks.

Selwood's winning habit

Joel Selwood starts 2017 on 228 career games with 175 wins. His success rate of 77 per cent is the highest of any player with 200 games or more in history.

All right on the night

No list has fewer left-footers in 2017 than the Cats, who have only five: Wylie Buzza, Matthew Hayball, Jamaine Jones, Jordan Murdoch and Harry Taylor. Only two have played senior games: Murdoch and Taylor.

• Season preview: Plenty to prove after a 2016 finish that stung

Rocket misfiring?

If the Suns again finish with more losses than wins it will be Rodney Eade's fourth consecutive losing season as a senior coach. He coached the Bulldogs to a 9-13 record in 2011, before two losing seasons with the Suns since 2015.

Last of the originals

Though the Suns are young, only three of the players recruited from other clubs for the club's foundation season remain on their list: Gary Ablett, Jarrod Harbrow and Michael Rischitelli. Eleven players on their 2017 list have come from other clubs.

• Season preview: The road to September starts in the medical room

Land of the Giants

Leon Cameron's men tower above opponents with the equal tallest list on average at 190cm, thanks to four players 200cm or above.

Not among the four true Giants is lead ruckman Shane Mumford, who stands a humble 197cm.

Perhaps surprisingly for a still-young club, the Giants are ranked third going into the 2017 for average career games with 72. They have five players listed with more than 200 games.

Live and kicking

No team kicked the football more in the 2016 regular season. The Giants ranked first for kicks per game with 221.4, thanks largely to Heath Shaw who was ranked first across the league with 468.

History against them

In recent seasons, since 2011 only two preliminary losers have come back the next season and reached the Grand Final: Hawthorn in 2011-12 and Sydney in 2013-14. Both lost the Grand Final.

• Season preview: Fear them

Experience counts

Despite the off-season losses of Sam Mitchell and Jordan Lewis, the Hawks are once again one of the oldest and most experienced lists in 2017. Heading into round one they are the fourth oldest list and second for average career games.

Leading from the front

Taking over from Luke Hodge, Jarryd Roughead becomes the 35th captain of the Hawthorn Football Club and first key position skipper of the Hawks since Jason Dunstall in the late 1990s.

• Season preview: Forget Sam and Jordan and watch Jaeger come of age

Firing up

Melbourne's scoring continues to increase from season to season. In 2014 they averaged 60 points per game. In 2015 it jumped to 71, then to 88 in 2016.

Time to end the decade-long drought?

The Demons have already missed the finals for 10 consecutive seasons. Whether or not they can end that barren run in coach Simon Goodwin's first season, they've still got a long way to go to match their club record: 22 straight seasons without finals from 1965-86.

• Season preview: The Dees have talent to burn but no more time to waste

Kangaroos become joeys

At the start of 2016 the Kangaroos were the most experienced team, averaging over 90 career games. At the start of 2017 that's dropped to 59, losing a combined 1588 games from Brent Harvey, Nick Dal Santo, Drew Petrie, Michael Firrito and Daniel Wells.

With the departures of Harvey and Petrie the Kangaroos also lost a combined 946 career goals. They now have only three players who have kicked more than 100 goals: Jarrad Waite, Lindsay Thomas and Shaun Higgins.

Mr consistency

No player in the AFL starts 2017 having played more consecutive games than Sam Gibson with 108, he last missed a game in round 10, 2012.

• Season preview: Short-term pain is expected - but just how much?

Ground to make up

Port Adelaide was ranked in the bottom four in 2016 for total kicks, as well as short kicks, marks, contested marks, marks inside 50, disposals, uncontested possessions and hit-outs.

Finals or bust?

If the Power miss the finals again or look like missing the finals, history says it could be trouble for Ken Hinkley. In the Power's history no senior coach has survived the third season on their way to missing the finals.

• Season preview: Coach Ken Hinkley faces a challenge to survive the year

Dimma on borrowed time?

Tigers coach Damien Hardwick is on 157 games at the helm. He is the only man in history to coach more than 150 games and fail to win a single final.

Pint-sized Tigers

The Tigers have the shortest playing list at an average of 187cm, largely due to seven players below 180cm including new recruit Dion Prestia.

Hands off

No team in 2016 tackled less than Richmond. The Tigers were ranked last for tackles laid, averaging only 60 per game, and in 2015 they were only marginally better, ranked 17th.

• Season preview: It's finals or bust for the Tiges and their under-fire coach

Clean living and home comforts

No team in 2016 was more efficient disposing of the football than the Saints, who operated at 75.3 per cent and had three players who operated at over 90 per cent including Nick Riewoldt.

No team plays more games at Etihad Stadium in 2017. The Saints return for 14 matches. Four of their first five and eight of their first 10 are at a venue where they won nine of 14 games in 2016.

Saints in hell?

St Kilda has missed the finals in each of the last five seasons. Should Alan Richardson's men failed to arrest the run in 2017 it will be the first time since the 1980s they've missed the finals six years in a row. The longest recent drought was from 1979-90.

Critical to their chances of making the eight will be their defence. Though improving it has been poor in recent seasons, ranking the Saints sixth for most points conceded in 2016, fourth in 2015 and first in 2014.

• Season preview: Crunch time starts when the Saints jump on a plane

September staying power

The Swans stand poised to continue their amazing recent finals history. They have reached the September action in all six of John Longmire's years in charge and, in total, 13 of the last 14 seasons.

Stingy at the back

The Swans had the AFL's best defence in 2016, conceding only 68 points per game. However no team has been the best defensive side in the competition in consecutive seasons since St Kilda in 2009-10.

Young at heart

Though they are packed with experienced stars, on average Sydney has the League's second youngest list, at 23 years, 228 days on average heading into round one.

• Season preview:

Wise-headed Eagles

No team is more experienced going into 2017 than the Eagles, who boast an average of 92 career games. Their numbers were boosted in the off-season, when they added 623 games just from Drew Petrie and Sam Mitchell.

Rocky on the road

If history is anything to go by the Eagles may struggle in round one against North Melbourne. Since 2009 they've managed only one win in the opening game of the season when played interstate.

Can Kennedy complete a Coleman hat-trick?

No player has won the Coleman Medal for the AFL's leading goalkicker three years in a row since Gary Ablett senior in 1993-95.

• Season preview: Expect thrills a minute as the Eagles build on last year's form

Bulldog through and through

No team in 2017 has fewer players from other clubs than the Bulldogs, who have only five: Shane Biggs, Tom Boyd, Travis Cloke, Stewart Crameri and Matthew Suckling.

The case for the defence

The Dogs open their flag defence in the knowledge no reigning premier has missed the finals the next season since Hawthorn in 2009.

While the Bulldogs face Collingwood at the MCG on Friday night, they don't play another game at the venue until round 17, their only other match at the 'G during the home and away season.

• Season preview: You don't win back-to-back flags without evolving as a team

Stats: Cameron Sinclair

Want more?

• Crystal ball predictions - premier, surprise All Australian and more

• In the mix: Who's on the cusp for round one selection?