Looking at Champion Data's relative ratings, both Richmond and Western Bulldogs have the league's best group of players aged 23 and under.

Champion Data's relative ratings rank a player's performance based on his age, position and output, and according to numbers gathered by the Herald Sun, the most young guns in the AFL below to the Tigers and Dogs.

Both sides have eight players with positive relative ratings, with GWS close by with seven.

At the other end of the list, Elliott Himmelberg is Adelaide's only player that fits the bill.

North Melbourne are above the average with five players, although veteran ruckman Todd Goldstein believes his side's youngsters are as good as any other crop in the league.

“We are headed in the right direction, we have got a lot of young players, we had four Rising Star nominations last year so I have got great confidence in the group we have got and in the end it comes down to I love this place and I want to make it successful,” he told the Herald Sun.

“I don’t see why they are not (as good as any collection of kids). Obviously they need to keep working hard. They need to work working to get better but that’s the impressive thing, they are all doing that. They all want to be stars.

“You look at Cam Zurhaar, he has that inner arrogance, but he wants to get better.

“Tarryn Thomas has been nothing but impressive since he came here as an academy kid three or four years ago, so I think they have got a lot of potential but they need to keep working hard and hopefully that drives this group along.

“It is what is going to make the difference. We know what Benny Brown will give us, we know what Cunners and Jack Ziebell will give us, it’s those guys who can really drive this group forward.”

Players who have a positive relative rating according to Champion Data

1= Richmond 8
1= Western Bulldogs 8
3. GWS Giants 7
4. Sydney 6
5= Port Adelaide 5
5= Essendon 5
5= Fremantle 5
5= North Melbourne 5
9= Carlton 4
9= Collingwood 4
9= Melbourne 4
12= Brisbane 3
12= Geelong 3
12= Hawthorn 3
12= St Kilda 3
16= Gold Coast 2
16= West Coast 2
18. Adelaide 1