Re-selecting the first round of the 2016 AFL Draft

[GVGjr]

Re-selecting the first round of the 2016 AFL Draft

Zero Hanger have redone the first round of the 2016 draft and it makes for interesting reading.

2016 Draft
Each year AFL clubs decide their list strategies and assess whether a strong draft hand is likely to yield benefits comparable to the trade assets the picks are worth.

As clubs push higher up the draft board they gain the security that they can draft the players they rate the highest before other clubs and, consequently, increase their chance of securing successful long-term recruits.

Nonetheless, this strategy is not foolproof and hindsight exposes the difficult reality of ranking the ability and potential of players before they have been introduced to an AFL environment.

In this list, the first round of the 2016 National Draft will be reassessed with the benefit of six years of AFL data.

Below is the original 2016 first round:

1 - Andrew McGrath
2 - Tim Taranto
3 - Hugh McCluggage
4 - Ben Ainsworth
5 - Will Setterfield
6 - Sam Petrevski-Seton
7 - Jack Scrimshaw
8 - Griffin Logue
9 - Will Brodie
10 - Jack Bowes
11 - Oliver Florent
12 - Jy Simpkin
13 - Daniel Venables
14 - Harry Perryman
15 - Jordan Gallucci
16 - Todd Marshall
17 - Jarrod Berry
18 - Sam Powell-Pepper
19 - Tim English
20 - Isaac Cumming
21 - Will Hayward

Revised 2016 Draft

1 - Shai Bolton (pick 29)
2 - Tom Stewart (pick 40)
3 - Hugh McCluggage (pick 3)
4 - Tim Taranto (pick 2)
5 - Luke Ryan (pick 66)
6 - Tim English (pick 19)
7 - Sean Darcy (pick 38)
8 - Jy Simpkin (pick 12)
9 - Isaac Cumming (pick 20)
10 - Rowan Marshall (pick 10 RD)
11 - Jordan Ridley (pick 22)
12 - Nick Larkey (pick 73)
13 - Josh Daicos (pick 57)
14 - Brennan Cox (pick 41)
15 - Todd Marshall (pick 16)
16 - Andrew McGrath (pick 1)
17 - Tyson Stengle (pick 5 RD)
18 - Jack Henry (pick 16 RD)
19 - Mitch Lewis (pick 76)
20 - Junior Rioli (pick 52)
21 - Will Hayward

[GVGjr]

It certainly was a draft where value could be had with later picks. Fremantle did well with their selections.

[comrade]

I wouldn't have McGrath in the top 20. Most vanilla pick 1 ever.

[GVGjr]

I wouldn’t have McGrath in the top 20. Most vanilla pick 1 ever.

I think they've got him about right in the revised order. He's moving to the back line again so it will be interesting to see if he regains some better form. Will a better Essendon help him?

[Grantysghost]

What a shame Essendon screwed their free hit #1 pick.
Dodo never fails though.

[jeemak]

I wouldn’t have McGrath in the top 20. Most vanilla pick 1 ever.

They found vanilla the year before with Parish at 5. Not sure what he was like in his draft year.

[bornadog]

Is Taranto really ranked pick 4 (orig 2). I wouldn't even rate him top 10. He has averaged only 23 disposals over his career and has never really been a top mid.

[GVGjr]

Is Taranto really ranked pick 4 (orig 2). I wouldn't even rate him top 20. He has averaged only 23 disposals over his career and has never really been a top mid.

So he isn't as good as nearly every other player they re-ranked? You might be able to make a case for more of a top 10 position but I wouldn't have him much after that.

[bornadog]

So he isn't as good as nearly every other player they re-ranked? You might be able to make a case for more of a top 10 position but I wouldn't have him much after that.

Sorry typo, should read 10

[Mofra]

Sam Draper was taken in the rookie draft that year, ditto Oscar McInerny. It was a cracking year for rucks.

[Go_Dogs]

There’s still a few players who haven’t reached their ceiling or have had injuries etc which makes them harder to place in an exercise like this. I’d have Rowan Marshall quite a bit higher FWIW, and while some like Stengel had a great year I’m not sure they’ve got a better body of work yet than some others ranked below.

Definitely demonstrates you don’t need to hit the best big man in the first 10 selections.

[Bulldog Revolution]

Fascinating exercise - and probably highlights as it always does that there are always a lot of talented kids, and its about developing them,

I think they've got McGrath a bit low - Id never have him below Marshall, whose still an enigma, and you could debate him over Daicos

They found vanilla the year before with Parish at 5. Not sure what he was like in his draft year.

Whilst Parish looks aesthetically vanilla, he has turned into a dynamic midfielder

[Axe Man]

Is Taranto really ranked pick 4 (orig 2). I wouldn't even rate him top 10. He has averaged only 23 disposals over his career and has never really been a top mid.

He has suffered from often being played forward because of the sheer number of talented midfielders GWS have had. Will be interesting to see how he goes in what I assume will be more of a full time midfield role at Richmond.

He did win the GWS best and fairest the year they played in the grand final as well.

[bornadog]

He has suffered from often being played forward because of the sheer number of talented midfielders GWS have had. Will be interesting to see how he goes in what I assume will be more of a full time midfield role at Richmond.

He did win the GWS best and fairest the year they played in the grand final as well.

Will be interesting to see how he goes with more midfield time.

[GVGjr]

If Lipinski can back up his 2022 form again in 2023 then he could make some claims for a top 20 spot.