2016 AFL draft
Australian Football League draft
The 2016 AFL draft consisted of the various periods where the 18 clubs in the Australian Football League (AFL) could trade and recruit players following the completion of the 2016 AFL season. Additions to each club's playing list are not allowed at any other time during the year.
The key dates for the trading and drafting periods were:
The free agency offer period; held between 7 October and 19 October. Three further free agency periods were held for delisted players, between 1 November and 8 November, 10 November to 18 November, and 26 November to 27 November,
The trade period; held between 10 October and 20 October,
The 2016 national draft; held on 25 November, at the Hordern Pavilion, which included live bidding for academy and father-son selections.
The 2017 pre-season draft; which was to be held on 28 November, but was cancelled when all clubs declined to take part, and
The 2017 rookie draft; which was held on 28 November.
Player movements
Previous trades
The 2015 AFL draft included a new initiative whereby clubs could trade future picks; through this scheme, fourteen picks in the 2016 draft were traded prior to the commencement of the 2016 trade period:
Trades
Note
The numbering of the draft picks in this list may be different to the agreed draft picks at the time of the trade, due to adjustments from either the insertion of free agency compensation draft picks or clubs exiting the draft before later rounds.
Free agency
Note
Due to James Kelly and Matt Dea being signed as top up players because of the 2012 Essendon supplements saga, they had to be delisted and then re-signed in order to stay on Essendon's list.
Retirements and delistings
2016 national draft
The Brisbane Lions received a priority pick at the end of the first round (pick 19) after a request by the club to the AFL commission was accepted. It was the first time a priority pick was given to a club since the rules regarding priority selections were changed in 2012. This pick was later on-traded to Port Adelaide as part of the Pearce Hanley trade to Gold Coast, before the Sydney Swans ended up with it by the trade deadline.
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