From an article in the Financial Review:
http://www.afr.com/business/sport/darwins-theory-of-sporting-evolution-20170323-gv4yuj
An interesting insight into why some recruiting methods ( like buying players) don't work, and why other methods do.
His theory is based on team cohesiveness and:
"It's based on three measures – long-term cohesion, which is the time team members have spent playing together more than two years ago; medium-term cohesion – which is the time spent within two years and finally the in-season cohesion, which has the highest weighting."
Importantly the author has identified in the AFL the following:
"Hawthorn, Geelong and the Swans in the AFL are high-cohesion units but he says St Kilda and Melbourne are improving and North Melbourne could spring a surprise".