GEELONG star Patrick Dangerfield lived up to the hype surrounding his move from Adelaide, and the Brownlow Medal favourite has been named captain of the AFL's Team of the Year, brought to you by Accor Hotels.

Dangerfield's enormous contribution to the Cats in his debut season helped the club to second spot on the ladder at the end of the regular season, and he looms as a major factor in the quest for their first premiership since 2011. 

Minor premiers the Sydney Swans lead the way with five selections in the team of 2016, with Dane Rampe and Luke Parker joining multiple All Australians Lance Franklin, Josh Kennedy and Dan Hannebery, while Greater Western Sydney's emergence as a premiership contender sees them with Tom Scully, Stephen Coniglio, Toby Greene and Heath Shaw picked. 

Coleman Medal winner West Coast's Josh Kennedy, Richmond's Alex Rance, Hawthorn dynamo Cyril Rioli, and Port Adelaide gun Robbie Gray are just a few familiar names from past best of the year lists.

North Melbourne's Robbie Tarrant and West Coast's Jeremy McGovern are a couple of new faces in the backline, while Gold Coast star Tom Lynch flies the flag with Greene in the forward line. 

Melbourne cult figure Max Gawn and Western Bulldogs captain-in-waiting Marcus Bontempelli, along with Kennedy, bring plenty of grunt to the starting ruck, while the League's possessions king, Lachie Neale, is Fremantle's lone representative.

DANE RAMPE (Sydney Swans)   
Followed up an outstanding 2015 season with an even better year in the league's best defence, with the dasher ranked second for total rebound 50s and third for intercept possessions per game.

ROBBIE TARRANT (North Melbourne)   
Took on the opposition's best big forward week after week and was rarely beaten, despite North's struggles in the second half of the year. Had the second most rebound 50s of any tall defender in the competition.

ALEX RANCE (Richmond)   
Another tough year under pressure for the star Tiger, who had more intercept possessions per game than anyone in the League, was ranked fourth for marks and sixth for one percenters.

MATTHEW BOYD (Western Bulldogs)
While his backline teammates dropped around him, Boyd had a brilliant season averaging 27.9 possessions at almost 80 per cent efficiency, and was ranked sixth for rebound 50s.

JEREMY MCGOVERN (West Coast)   
The young Eagle took 47 contested marks to be the only defender ranked inside the League's top 20, and was ranked No.1 for intercept marks for the season.

HEATH SHAW (Greater Western Sydney)
Led the League for kicks and had 31 more rebounds 50s than his nearest rival, while having the most metres gained by a defender at 567 per match.

DAN HANNEBERY (Sydney Swans)  
Had the equal second most disposals for the regular season with 689 at 31.3 per game, after leading the competition last year; Hannebery is on track to break the all-time possessions record for the Swans during this year's finals series. 

PATRICK DANGERFIELD (Geelong)   
A barnstorming debut season at the Cats for Dangerfield, who broke the season record for inside 50s, was ranked top five for possessions, contested possessions and clearances, plus added 23 goals and 21 goal assists for the year.

TOM SCULLY (Greater Western Sydney)
Averaged 24.6 disposals and four tackles per game this season, had the equal sixth most goal assists in the league and ranked eight for total inside 50s, while kicking 21 goals from the wing.

TOBY GREENE (Greater Western Sydney)    
Had a breakout season and played his role as a high half-forward to perfection. Greene kicked 39 goals himself, tied for the second most goal assists in the competition, and was ranked third for total inside 50s, all while gathering 21.5 touches a game.

JOSH KENNEDY (West Coast)    
Started the year with an eight-goal haul and cruised to his second straight Coleman Medal win with 20 goals in his last four games. Took 41 contested marks, the eighth-most in the competition, and led the League for grabs inside 50.

CYRIL RIOLI (Hawthorn)
Kicked 44 goals for the year to be an offensive threat inside 50 while being ranked number one for forward half pressure, and laying over six tackles a game.

EDDIE BETTS (Adelaide)    
Eclipsed last year's career-high goal haul with another 66 this season at an average of three per match, and added 22 goal assists, the fourth most in the competition.

LANCE FRANKLIN (Sydney Swans)    
Returned from last year's break in stunning fashion to kick 74 goals without missing a game, and led the league for score involvements to help the Swans to the minor premiership.

TOM LYNCH (Gold Coast)
The young star took 62 contested marks for the year, eight more than his nearest rival, and kicked 66 goals, despite the Suns winning just six games, booting at least one in all 22 matches.

MAX GAWN (Melbourne)
After stating he wanted to be the best ruckman in the game during the pre-season, the big Demon backed up his call with a monster year. Gawn had 928 hit outs and took the sixth most contested marks in the league. 

MARCUS BONTEMPELLI (Western Bulldogs)
The 20-year-old averaged 24.5 possessions, five tackles, four clearances, and four inside 50s per game, and had a huge impact on the Dogs' season, while adding 22 goals and 14 goal assists. 

JOSH KENNEDY (Sydney Swans)   
Lost his crown after missing a game mid-season, but was still ranked second for contested possessions, clearances and stoppages per game in the league, and had 20 goal assists along with kicking 16 majors of his own.

LACHIE NEALE (Fremantle)
Set a new competition record with 737 disposals at over 33 per game, 16 of those contested, and had the third most clearances for the year. Neale was a shining light in a dark year for the Dockers.

LUKE PARKER (Sydney Swans)
Should be an early leader in the Brownlow Medal and averaged 28 disposals, half of those contested, six clearances and six tackles per game. Parker also kicked 21 goals and added 16 goal assists.

ROBBIE GRAY (Port Adelaide)
The Port gun didn't get much help but was a standout this season, averaging 26 possessions, six clearances and 4.8 inside 50s for the year. Gray was also a damaging forward booting 25 goals, and having 17 goal assists, despite missing three games.

STEPHEN CONIGLIO (Greater Western Sydney)
Despite being the Giants No.1 shut down player, broke the season record for disposals at the Giants (tied with Dylan Shiel) with 591 at 28.1 per game, was ranked second at the club for clearances and has the fifth most goal assists in the competition, while booting 11 himself.

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs