WEST Coast is positioned to take over from Hawthorn as the next competition superpower, according to Champion Data’s official AFL Prospectus for the 2016 season.

The stats gurus have lavished praise on the Eagles’ list, ­saying West Coast’s talent and age spread indicates the club is ideally placed for a sustained premiership assault.

Champion Data believes the Eagles are entering a long premiership window, because it rates their players in the 21-24-year-old age group as clearly the best batch of young players in the AFL.

“If there was ever a side cherry ripe to have sustained success and remain in premiership contention similar to what the Hawks have done, West Coast is the team,’’ the Prospectus says. “You will struggle to find a more balanced list. It heads into this season as the sixth-oldest side, and ranks fourth for experience. What’s more impressive is the spread of players across all age ­brackets.’’

West Coast has 17 players in the “prime” age category of 25-29, with just two players on its list aged 30 or above.

Brownlow medallist Matt Priddis will turn 31 in the week leading into Round 1, while ­veteran defender Sam Butler turned 30 last month.

The Eagles also have 17 players who have played between 100-199 matches, six more than any other team.

West Coast players in the 21-24 age group include key-position stars Jeremy McGovern and Jack Darling, John Worsfold medallist Andrew Gaff and Elliot Yeo, Brad ­Sheppard and Jamie Cripps.

“They have nine players between the ages of 21-24 - right on the AFL average - with the quality of this group rating a clear No.1,’’ the Prospectus says.

Camera Icon Last season’s John Worsfold medallist Andrew Gaff. Credit: News Corp Australia, Daniel Wilkins

Champion Data has long been bullish about the Eagles and forecast their rise up the ladder. It said West Coast had the third-best list in the competition leading into the 2014 season, despite the Eagles ­coming off a 13th-placed finish in John Worsfold’s final year at the helm.

The Eagles narrowly missed the finals in Adam Simpson’s first year in charge in 2014, but sealed a top-two finish with a 16-5-1 record last season before falling to the Hawks in the Grand Final.

West Coast’s list is rated the second-best in the competition behind Hawthorn’s, with the second-best defence and attack and the seventh-best midfield. Fremantle’s list is rated the third-best.

The AFL Prospectus 2016 can be purchased through www.championdata.com.au or at selected newsagencies.