How the States shape up for next summer

Queensland Bulls

The defending Sheffield Shield champions are well-placed to contest for a repeat title in 2018-19, having kept the bulk of their squad together. Veteran Peter Forrest has moved into the coaching ranks with a position in NSW Premier Cricket, and while James Bazley and Harry Wood have lost their contracts, they remain on state selectors' radar. The Bulls are expecting to welcome Billy Stanlake back to red-ball cricket this summer, while the likes of Joe Burns and Mitch Swepson continue to push for higher honours as well as the CA contracted stars. Chris Lynn and Ben Cutting – who have Brisbane Heat contracts – will remain in the State system for white-ball cricket.

Ins: Xavier Bartlett (upgraded rookie), Jack Prestwidge (upgraded rookie), Blake Edwards (rookie), Nathan McSweeney (rookie), Connor Sully (rookie)

Outs: Ben Cutting (retired from first-class cricket), Peter Forrest (retired), James Bazley, Harry Wood

CA contracts: Usman Khawaja, Matthew Renshaw, Billy Stanlake

Full Queensland contracts: Xavier Bartlett, Joe Burns, Brendan Doggett, Luke Feldman, Jason Floros, Cameron Gannon, Peter George, Sam Heazlett, Charlie Hemphrey, Marnus Labuschagne, Michael Neser, Lachlan Pfeffer, James Peirson, Jack Prestwidge, Mark Steketee, Mitch Swepson, Sam Truloff, Jack Wildermuth

Rookie Queensland contracts: Max Bryant, Blake Edwards, Matthew Kuhnemann, Nathan McSweeney, Bryce Street, Connor Sully

Tasmanian Tigers

A surprise packet from last summer, Tasmania stormed into the Sheffield Shield final under new head coach Adam Griffith. They've strengthened their list with addition of versatile seamer Gurinder Sandhu from NSW and the promising Riley Meredith has been upgraded to a full contract while James Faulkner could be on the up again after a long battle with a debilitating knee injury.

Ins: Gurinder Sandhu (NSW), Hamish Kingston, Jack White, Caleb Jewell (upgraded rookie), Riley Meredith (upgraded rookie), Jack White (rookie), Jarrod Freeman (rookie), Lawrence Neil-Smith (rookie)

Outs: Andrew Fekete (personal reasons), Cameron Boyce, Ben Dunk, Jake Hancock, Corey Murfet, Andrew Perrin, Cameron Stevenson

CA contract: Tim Paine

Full Tasmania contracts: George Bailey, Gabe Bell, Jackson Bird, Nicholas Buchanan, Alex Doolan, Jake Doran, James Faulkner, Caleb Jewell, Hamish Kingston, Ben McDermott, Riley Meredith, Simon Milenko, Sam Rainbird, Tom Rogers, Gurinder Sandhu, Jordan Silk, Matthew Wade, Charlie Wakim, Beau Webster

Rookie Tasmania contracts: Liam Devlin, Jack White, Jarrod Freeman, Aaron Summers, Macalister Wright, Lawrence Neil-Smith

Victoria

Out with the 'Bushrangers' nickname from the official title, in with the new and young blood. No less than six of the players added to the Victoria squad are teenagers, with three of them on full state contracts. That's come at the cost of experienced players like Fawad Ahmed and Dan Christian. The likes of Peter Siddle and the recuperating James Pattinson add experience but it could be a very inexperienced Victoria XI with the likes of Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb and Glenn Maxwell on national contracts.

Ins: Mackenzie Harvey, Tom O'Connell, Eamon Vines, Sam Grimwade (upgraded rookie), Will Sutherland (upgraded rookie), Wes Agar (rookie), Jonathan Merlo (rookie), Edward Newman (rookie), Patrick Rowe (rookie)

Outs: Fawad Ahmed, Daniel Christian, John Hastings, James Muirhead, Blake Thomson, Guy Walker, Jackson Koop, Tom O'Donnell

CA contracts: Aaron Finch, Peter Handscomb, Glenn Maxwell

Full Victoria contracts: Scott Boland, Jackson Coleman, Xavier Crone, Travis Dean, Aaron Finch, Sebastian Gotch, Sam Grimwade, Peter Handscomb, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Mackenzie Harvey, Jon Holland, Glenn Maxwell, Tom O’Connell, James Pattinson, Will Pucovski, Jake Reed, Matthew Short, Peter Siddle, Will Sutherland, Chris Tremain, Eamonn Vines, Cameron White

Rookie contracts: Wes Agar, Zak Evans, Jonathan Merlo, Edward Newman, Mitch Perry, Patrick Rowe

Western Australia

The new powerbase of Australian cricket with six players on national contracts, WA are also in need of a new head coach with Justin Langer elevated to Australia's head coach vacancy. The good news for the state is they have a wealth of talent waiting in the wings, including international representatives Hilton Cartwright, Ashton Turner, D'Arcy Short, Jason Behrendorff, Joel Paris and Nathan Coulter-Nile. The state will also welcome back Cameron Bancroft in late December after serving his suspension for ball tampering. Highly-rated wicketkeeper Sam Whiteman will also be looking to make up for lost time having battled a long-term finger injury.

Ins: Jake Carder (upgraded rookie), Tim David (rookie), Aaron Hardie (rookie), Lance Morris (rookie)

Outs: Michael Klinger (retired), Kyle Gardiner, Andrew Holder

CA contracts: Ashton Agar, Mitchell Marsh, Shaun Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye

Full WA contracts: Cameron Bancroft, Jason Behrendorff, William Bosisto, Jake Carder, Hilton Cartwright, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Cameron Green, Liam Guthrie, Joshua Inglis, Matthew Kelly, Simon Mackin, David Moody, Joel Paris, Josh Philippe, D'Arcy Short, Ashton Turner, Jonathan Wells, Sam Whiteman

Rookie contracts: Alex Bevilaqua, Tim David, Aaron Hardie, Clint Hinchliffe, Lance Morris, Matthew Spoors

NSW Blues

A winter of change for the NSW Blues underlines the shifting fortunes in Australian cricket. The Blues are yet to appoint a new head coach, following the departure of Trent Johnston, but have invested heavily in youth for the new era, with five players upgraded from rookie contracts. NSW only narrowly avoided the Sheffield Shield wooden spoon last summer.

Ins: Daniel Fallins (upgraded rookie), Mickey Edwards (upgraded rookie), Liam Hatcher (updgraded rookie), Jason Sangha (upgraded rookie), Param Uppal (upgraded rookie), Jack Edwards (rookie), Ryan Hackney (rookie), Ryan Hadley (rookie), Baxter Holt (rookie), Chad Sammut (rookie)

Outs: Steve Smith (suspended), David Warner (suspended), Doug Bollinger (retired), Ed Cowan (retired), Gurinder Sandhu (Tasmania), Jay Lenton, Nic Maddinson

CA contracts: Patrick Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Starc

Full NSW contracts: Sean Abbott, Harry Conway, Trent Copeland, Ben Dwarshius, Mickey Edwards, Daniel Fallins, Ryan Gibson, Liam Hatcher, Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Nick Larkin, Arjun Nair, Peter Nevill, Steve O’Keefe, Kurtis Patterson, Jason Sangha, Will Somerville, Charlie Stobo, Henry Thornton, Param Uppal

Rookie NSW contracts: Jack Edwards, Jordan Gauci, Ryan Hackney, Ryan Hadley, Baxter Holt, Chad Sammut

West End Redbacks

South Australia have added three impressive young guns to their roster for the new season, while maintaining the core of their group. The nationally-contracted Travis Head and Alex Carey will be the lynchpins for the Redbacks while Chadd Sayers will look to continue his prolific wicket-taking ways. The side finished with the wooden spoon in last summer's Sheffield Shield.

Ins: Conor McInerney, Elliot Opie, Luke Robins

Outs: Nick Benton, Daniel Drew

CA contracts: Alex Carey, Travis Head, Kane Richardson

Full SA contracts: Tom Andrews, Tom Cooper, John Dalton, Callum Ferguson, David Grant, Jake Lehmann, Conor McInerney, Joe Mennie, Harry Nielsen, Elliot Opie, Patrick Page Jnr, Luke Robins, Alex Ross, Chadd Sayers, Kelvin Smith, Cameron Valente, Jake Weatherald, Nick Winter, Daniel Worrall, Adam Zampa

Rookie SA contracts: Michael Cormack, Spencer Johnson, Lloyd Pope, Ben Pengelley, Jake Winter