Hooked on depth: the AFL’s unseen map of squads beyond the best 23.
Introduction
Personally, I think the “depth ladder”—how deep a club goes beyond its best 22—deserves more attention than glossy ladder positions. It isn’t just about who wins the next game; it’s about who survives a stretched season, who fills in during injuries, and who can be peeled off the list by rivals when the market shifts. The latest exercise by Midweek Tackle, tallying seven dimensions into a 50-point score, offers a provocative lens: which clubs have a robust reservoir of fringe talent, and who are the players most likely to become levers for trades or delisted quiet exits? What makes this particularly fascinating is that depth is a forward-looking metric—it reveals not just where teams stand today, but what they are willing to risk, asset-strip, or hold tight for the next phase of competition.
Gold Coast and the quiet edge of utility
From my perspective, Gold Coast topping the depth chart is more than a numerical win. It signals a franchise that has leaned into patient development and the strategic value of non-core contributors. The Suns’ depth score suggests a practical upside—the kind of talent that can be unleashed when injuries bite or when a younger core stalls. What this really suggests is that depth isn’t about an endless supply of stars; it’s about having credible, ready-made options who can step in and sustain performance without collapsing the structure. One thing that immediately stands out is how this builds a competitive moat for a club still navigating readiness for finals pressure.
The Brisbane story: currency and caution
In my view, Brisbane’s depth shows both a healthy pipeline and an awareness of the fringe market. Players like Sam Marshall and Zane Zakostelsky carry “currency”—i.e., the value teams might pay in trades—and that currency matters in balancing the list while keeping core development on track. What makes this particularly interesting is that depth here isn’t about squeezing extra wins now; it’s about preserving future flexibility. If a club can keep buy-low prospects under club-friendly contracts while not compromising its top-end, it creates room to maneuver when the market shifts or when injuries bite. From this angle, Brisbane’s depth is a quietly leveraged asset rather than a loud scoreboard feature.
Fremantle and the two-front war on ruck depth
Fremantle’s case is telling: they’ve effectively positioned their depth to cover the unlikely but inevitable long season-long churn, especially around the ruck position where injuries and form can derail a campaign. My takeaway is that the Dockers are preparing for a world where ruck rules, rotation, and sudden demand can force a reshuffle. This matters because it reshapes how a club values its second-choice ruck and the risk of overpaying to retain a fringe forward who cannot hold a senior spot. In my opinion, depth becomes a test of patience—how long you’re willing to wait for a breakout moment rather than chasing it in a single season.
Other clubs and the subtler calculus
- Hawthorn and Geelong sit in the mid-pack of depth, which I see as a signal that legacy clubs are balancing youth influx with veteran containment. It matters because sustained competitiveness demands a steady pipeline, not just a one-year flush of youngsters.
- North Melbourne and Sydney show how a club can sustain credible depth while battling top-end flux. The risk here is paring too aggressively or, conversely, letting fringe players stagnate in the VFL without meaningful chances. This is a philosophical debate about patience versus performance pressure.
- Melbourne, Collingwood, and Port Adelaide illustrate the opposite problem: talent-rich lists can become paralyzed by the weight of selection decisions, or conversely, expose vulnerabilities when fringe players fail to convert opportunities into senior impact. The implication is clear: depth is not a substitute for quality; it’s a supplementary engine that needs discipline, coaching bandwidth, and clear pathways.
A closer look at the fringe market
From the fringe players’ lens, the chatter around who might move is as telling as the depth scores themselves. The reports reveal a market where some players are trapped by positional fit, contract economics, or rule changes that alter their perceived value. For example, a ruck specialist who cannot jump under current rules risks obsolescence—an obvious cautionary tale about how evolving game mechanics redefine depth value. Similarly, players stuck behind entrenched stars may be better off seeking opportunities elsewhere, even if it hurts the club’s immediate depth balance. This is a reminder that fringe talent isn’t merely spare parts; it’s a dynamic asset class that thrives on clarity around role, contract, and the willingness of clubs to move on.
Broader implications and trends
What this depth exercise highlights is a broader trend: the AFL’s modern list-building challenge is less about collecting talent and more about engineering optionality. The reserve players function like financial hedges—the ability to pivot without destabilizing the base. What many people don’t realize is that depth also shapes culture: teams with transparent pathways for fringe players tend to maintain morale and resilience, while those that tolerate misaligned contracts or vague futures can suffer internal friction.
If you take a step back and think about it, the real value of depth is resilience. A club that can deploy credible substitutes without cratering its structure is less dependent on perfect injury luck or a blockbuster mid-season trade. This suggests an emerging coaching and management philosophy: cultivate a reliable undercard, not just star power, and you’ll outlast purists who chase headline signings.
Conclusion
From my point of view, depth isn’t a tidy stat; it’s a narrative about each club’s willingness to invest in ambiguity. The fringe players are the most revealing barometer of a club’s long-term intent. The teams that can keep a steady stream of capable replacements while preserving core continuity will likely outlive those that chase overdue breakthroughs at the expense of roster stability. In the next phase of AFL competition, depth may prove more decisive than raw top-end talent, precisely because it reflects organization, patience, and strategic foresight.
If you’re curious about the practical implications, ask: which clubs will risk fringe talent in 2026 to chase a premiership window in 2027? And which players are most likely to be reallocated or recast as valuable trade leverage? The answers will reveal not just who’s next on the list, but who’s ready to redefine what a winning list actually looks like.
