AFL moneyball - best trades and free agent dealsChris Doerre
ESPN
22 June 2018The concept of 'moneyball' is defined by the recruitment of low cost, undervalued commodities that produce better-than-expected results.
As well as needing to nail prized draft choices, every AFL club's list manager must also be able to uncover the diamonds in the rough that cost very little but may deliver huge bang-stuff value. A prime example of this is Richmond's 2017 premiership side. While a handful of elite, early draft choices played huge parts in their drought-breaking flag, several bargain-basement trade-ins were also pivotal in their season.
Powerful forward/mid Josh Caddy, a former No. 7 draft choice, was secured from the Cats at a cost of picks 24 and 64 (to acquire Caddy and pick 56). Other additions from rival clubs' lists were also acquired cheaply: trades of picks after 40 were all that were required for Bachar Houli, Jacob Townsend and Toby Nankervis, while the Tigers were able to secure Shaun Grigg in 2010 in a direct swap for Andrew Collins - a player who was not viewed as an ongoing best 22 player. All of these players played crucial parts in Richmond's incredible 2017 premiership win.
But what have been the best moneyball deals in the past five seasons?
In this piece the best five trades and free agent pickups from 2012-2017 will be explored along with two repeatable moneyball moves your club should do more.
Top trades (picks including or before No. 40 were not considered)
Toby Nankervis (Sydney to Richmond for pick 46, 2016)Rationale: With Kurt Tippett leading Sydney's ruck division, Callum Sinclair backing him up and with Sam Naismith showing promise, Nankervis was the fourth-string ruckman. Hungry for more opportunity, he was perhaps considered expendable by the Swans.
The signs were there from Nankervis during his second season for Sydney that he could thrive as a lead ruckman. Sharing the ruck duties for seven matches in 2016, Nankervis recorded the highest hitout-to-advantage rating in the AFL and averaged 5.1 tackles per game (third best of all ruckmen). He was also rated inside the top-10 in the competition for centre clearance differential. It can only be said that his move to the Tigers has been a roaring success, with the big Tasmanian playing a lead role in the 2017 premiership.
http://www.espn.com.au/afl/story/_/id/23634474/afl-moneyball-chris-doerre-knightmare-best-trades-free-agent-deals
