AFL Fantasy is done and dusted for 2016 and now it’s time to look back and see how the year unfolded from a North Melbourne point of view.
Before we get into season 2016, here’s a breakdown of Round 23’s top five performers.
1. Sam Gibson
Gibson was best on ground from a North Fantasy standpoint.
He scored 115 points, delivering for any coach brave enough to take him into their grand final.
A massive 41 point first quarter help set up his 29 disposal, 10-mark game.
2. Jack Ziebell
After a bit of a lean patch, Ziebell finished the year in strong style.
He scored 110 points against the Swans and backed it up with 105 against the Giants, showing he could do it against the best teams.
He’ll certainly be one to consider when putting your 2017 side together.
3. Brent Harvey
Harvey’s final home-and-away game for the club was everything you’d expect from the champion.
After a slow start, he racked up 102 points from 26 disposals, six marks and two goals.
Harvey has been around longer than AFL Fantasy, so it’s fair to say he has been a mainstay of most teams for the entirety of the sport!
4. Aaron Mullett
Mullett finished the season with a personal best score of 102 points.
28 disposals and six marks saw the young defender reach the large total, bringing up his fifth-highest fantasy score.
Keep an eye on him over pre-season and if he can lock down a spot in the side’s best 22, he could be one do watch.
5. Todd Goldstein
Goldstein finished as the Roos’ fifth highest scorer of the round, but with only 84 points, fantasy coaches probably wanted more from him in the Grand Final.
After being the second highest scorer of 2015, Goldstein didn’t quite have as good a season, but was still a reliable option for most teams from start to finish.
He’ll be much cheaper going into 2017 than he was going into 2016, making him a relatively easy selection you’d imagine.
Season Review
By position, here is a ranking of North Melbourne’s best fantasy players for 2016.
Defenders:
The North backline was ranked in the bottom four for total Fantasy points in 2016. Jamie Macmillan finished the year with the highest cumulative score, averaging 73 points. As already mentioned, Aaron Mullett finished the year well and All-Australian squad member Robbie Tarrant averaged 69 points for the season. Funnily enough, Mitchell Hibberd finished in more teams than any other North defender, despite not playing a game.
Midfielders:
The midfield had a slightly better and more competitive year. Jack Ziebell’s strong finish pushed him to the top of the list for North, averaging 95 points from 22 games. Sam Gibson was next best with an average of 90 and the bronze medal went to Nick Dal Santo, finishing with 1831 points from 21 games. Ryan Clarke was the most selected of the pure midfielders and Daniel Wells the highest overall.
Rucks:
Considering Todd Goldstein was more or less a lone hand in the ruck for most of the year and with North only having three ruck eligible players, there isn’t much to discuss in this position. Majak Daw averaged 66 points from his eight games, scoring better as a ruckman than as a forward.
Forwards:
Daniel Wells was the best forward for the club, averaging 88 points from 18 games and probably could’ve gone higher if it weren’t for niggling injuries. Brent Harvey was as reliable as always, also averaging 88 points and finishing with 102 in Round 23. Jarrad Waite started the year strong, averaging 100 points across the first eight weeks. Outside of Wells and Harvey, Jed Anderson found himself in the highest percentage of teams for the club.
