Every AFL club’s best and worst draft class
EVERY club has high hopes for their draftees, but they don’t always turn out the way you hoped. Sometimes an entire draft goes pear-shaped. What is the biggest skeleton in your club’s draft closet?
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IT IS the stuff of recruiting legend — Jimmy Bartel, James Kelly, Steve Johnson and Gary Ablett all arriving in the same draft.
No wonder they want to put a statue of talent-spotting guru Stephen Wells outside Kardinia Park.
YOUR CLUB’S PICKS: UPDATED 2017 DRAFT ORDER
FATHER-SON PROSPECT: RIOLI JR A CHIP OFF OLD BLOCK
After this year’s draft, clubs will line up all their new recruits and will dream of them all being premiership heroes.
The reality is there is usually a mix of stars, good players and kids who have plenty of promise but don’t make it for one reason or another.
But sometimes the planets align in one year for a club — as they did for the Cats in 2001 with the names above — and sometimes everything goes pear-shaped and none of their draft selections amount to much.
We’ve dug back through every national draft since 1987 to nominate the best and worst draft classes for every team.
Scroll down to see your team’s success story and the year they would rather forget — or just to look at the brilliant photos of Ablett and Co as baby-faced draftees.
YOUR CLUB’S BEST (AND WORST) DRAFT CLASS
ADELAIDE
BEST
Adelaide’s recruiting team nailed the 2007 draft, taking a kid from the Geelong Falcons named Patrick Dangerfield after he had remarkably (in retrospect, at least) been overlooked by nine other teams. Andy Otten (27) has given good service despite his injury battles and while the Crows’ next four picks (Jarrhan Jacky, Myke Cook, Tony Armstrong, Aaron Kite) didn’t deliver a lot, Adelaide delivered a stunning trump card in the form of NSW scholarship player Taylor Walker at 75.
WORST
When pick 7 delivers zero games, it’s not a draft to remember. The Crows’ top selection in 2000, Laurence Angwin, endured a year from hell that started with a self-inflicted concussion in the first week of training (he fell and hit his head on a footpath during a run) and ended with the homesick Angwin quitting the club after just a handful of SANFL appearances. And it wasn’t just Angwin (who later tried to resurrect his career at Carlton only to be sacked for using recreational drugs) — none of the Crows’ top three picks that year played an AFL game. The draft was saved from being a total disaster by pick 67 Graham Johncock.
BRISBANE LIONS
BEST
The Lions planted the seeds of a premiership dynasty in 1997 when they grabbed Luke Power at 5, Simon Black at 31 (one of the great draft steals) and Beau McDonald at 73. He wasn’t the best ruckman in the AFL but he did play in two flags. The Lions also got pick 10 right, selecting Shane O’Bree, although he did his best work for Collingwood. The draft haul followed a smart trade with Hawthorn to secure Brad Scott — another dual premiership star.
W ORST
There are a few skeletons in Brisbane’s draft closet, including using its first two picks in 1987 on Chris McDermott and Andrew Jarman, who both refused to join the club, and getting 18 games out of No. 1 pick John Hutton in 1991. In recent years 2011 will be remembered for the go-home three: the top three selections Billy Longer (8), Sam Docherty (12) and Elliot Yeo (30), who are now all thriving at other clubs.
CARLTON
BEST
The 2002 draft might seem an odd choice given the Blues were ravaged by draft penalties and didn’t have a pick until No.45 on draft night. But they made the best of a bad situation, picking up Kade Simpson from the Eastern Ranges, who is still going 286 games later. Brad Fisher at 72 was a good get, Mick Martyn arrived for practically nothing (84) and Bret Thornton was a smart rookie elevation. Blues fans will be hoping Stephen Silvagni’s recent work surpasses that — get back to us in a few years for a verdict.
WORST
The 2014 draft went pear-shaped from the moment Carlton traded pick 7 to GWS in return for Kristian Jaksch, Mark Whiley and pick 19 — which it used on Blaine Boekhorst, who was delisted last week. Dillon Viojo-Rainbow (28), Clem Smith (60) and Jayden Foster (63) are also gone. It wins this category from 1990 — when the Blues recruited James Cook (25 games) with pick two and got a collective zero games out of their five other selections, including pick 7 Damian Hampson. Maybe why that’s why they were scared off using that pick 24 years later.
COLLINGWOOD
BEST
Some are suspicious about how the Magpies ended up with two selections in the top five in 2005, but regardless, recruiters still have to make them count (just as Melbourne fans). Dale Thomas (pick 2) and Scott Pendlebury (5) delivered huge dividends, including the 2010 flag. And three 200-gamers in one draft isn’t too shabby, so hats off to the 1999 talent scouts who picked Josh Fraser (1), Leon Davis (34) and Ben Johnson (62).
WORST
Father-son picks Heath Shaw and Travis Cloke saved the 2003 and ’04 drafts from being complete busts. In 2003 the Magpies had three picks in the top 35 but used them on Billy Morrison, Brayden Shaw and Brent Hall, who played one game between them. Heater was taken 16 picks after his cousin but played 173 games for Collingwood before joining Greater Western Sydney in a swap for possible future captain Taylor Adams. The next year the Magpies traded No.7 (Jordan Lewis) to Hawthorn in a complicated deal that delivered No.10 (Chris Egan) and Chad Morrison. Oops. Pick 23 Sean Rusling was plagued by injuries but Travis Cloke was a bargain at 39 under the old father-son rules. Turning the clock way back, the 1991 draft wasn’t a great one for the Magpies, with their six selections playing 0, 3, 0, 0, 0 and 0 games. But the draft was much less of a science back then so we won’t be too harsh.
ESSENDON
BEST
The 1994 draft yielded Scott Lucas (4), Black Caracella (10), Gary Moorcroft (45) and Justin Blumfield (62) (plus Matthew Lloyd via the pre-season draft). In more recent times the Bombers had only two picks in 2013 but found huge value in Zach Merrett (26) and Orazio Fantasia (55). And selecting James Hird at 79 in the 1990 draft remains one of the all-time great selections — even if Essendon’s seven other picks that year yielded just 25 games.
WORST
Shane Harvey arrived with high hopes at pick 18 in 2001 but was gone after just 11 games. Joel Reynolds (31), Simon O’Keefe (34) and Daniel McAlister (64) didn’t fare much better. Andrew Welsh (pick 47, 162 games) gives the scoreboard some respectability.
FREMANTLE
BEST
Getting club champions Paul Hasleby (pick 2) and Matthew Pavlich (4) in the same draft (1999) is hard to beat, but for across-the-board talent we like the 2008 crop of Stephen Hill (3), Hayden Ballantyne (21), Nick Suban (24), Zac Clarke (37) and massive bargain Michael Walters (53).
WORST
Freo recruiters would like a doover for 2013, with time running out fast for Michael Apeness (16), Alex Pearce (37) and rookie elevation Matt Taberner. Brady Grey was good value at 58 but throw in delisted free agent Colin Sylvia and trade Scott Gumbleton and it’s not a pretty picture. And we’re not sure what was going on in 2004 but Freo traded away all its draft picks except for selections 59, 67 and 69, which it used on three players who never played an AFL game.
GEELONG
BEST
Stephen Wells’ 2001 masterpiece that secured Jimmy Bartel (pick 8), James Kelly (17), Steve Johnson (24) plus Gary Ablett as a father-son at 40 could be the best draft class of all time. Charlie Gardiner (23) was the only miss, with Henry Playfair (41) and David Johnson (81) playing their share of good games for the Cats. Getting Joel Selwood and Tom Hawkins in 2006 wasn’t bad, either.
WORST
It took the Cats a while to get the hang of this whole draft thing, with just two players picked in the first five drafts actually making an appearance at VFL/AFL level — and 26 doughnuts. Fast-forward to 2003 and the crop of Kane Tenace (7), Cameron Thurley (22) and Matthew Spencer (42) didn’t make much of an impression. At least father-son pick Mark Blake played in the 2009 flag.
GOLD COAST
BEST
Two of the Suns’ first five selections in their first national draft in 2010 are now premiership players — Josh Caddy (pick 7) and Dion Prestia (9), which might have given Gold Coast recruiters some bittersweet satisfaction. Pick 1 David Swallow is a pretty good player when he gets on the park and they got No.11 (Tom Lynch) right.
WORST
The next year Gold Coast traded pick 4 to get its hands on Jaeger O’Meara, who is now at Hawthorn, leaving four live selections: 24 (Henry Schade, delisted after 20 games), 80 (Alik Magin, delisted after eight games), 88 (Alex Sexton, clearly the pick of the bunch with 75 games and counting) and 91 (Jackson Allen, cut after four games).
GWS GIANTS
BEST
When you have 11 of the first 15 picks, you’re bound to get some good players and the Giants didn’t miss in 2011 with Jon Patton (1), Stephen Coniglio (2), Adam Tomlinson (9), Toby Greene (11), Taylor Adams (13) and Devon Smith (14).
WORST
Trading out players has been part of the GWS strategy, but it’s probably not ideal to part ways with an entire draft class within three years. That’s exactly what’s happened with the 2013 crop of Jarrod Pickett (4), Caleb Marchbank (6), Paul Ahern (7), Pat McKenna (23) and Jack Steele (24). Only Academy pick Jeremy Finlayson (85), whose only AFL game to date was the draw against Geelong in Round 15 this year, remains.
HAWTHORN
BEST
How do you split 2001 and 2004? In ’01 the Hawks stole pick 1 from Fremantle and used it on Luke Hodge and also grabbed Rick Ladson (16), Campbell Brown (32) and Sam Mitchell (36). Three years later master recruiter Gary Buckenara delivered Jarryd Roughead (2), Lance Franklin (5) and Jordan Lewis (7) after pulling swindles on Richmond (which infamously sent Roughie an invite to their draftee barbecue in advance on the assumption he would still be there at pick 4) and Collingwood (which traded pick 7). It’s no coincidence those players formed the core of a premiership dynasty that started later in the decade.
WORST
Lightning couldn’t strike a third time in 2006 when the Hawks used pick 6 on Tasmanian goalkicker Mitch Thorp. He played just two AFL games. Brent Renouf (24) has a premiership medal but Jarryd Morton (33) and Garry Moss (56) didn’t show a lot. Pick 40 was a handy father-son who couldn’t break into the Hawks’ line-up. Josh Kennedy was traded to Sydney — where he is now a premiership player, triple best-and-fairest, triple All-Australian and club captain.
MELBOURNE
BEST
Unlike most other teams Melbourne picked up the drafting game right from the start, using its first national draft pick in 1986 on 258-gamer Steven Febey. There are great early signs from the 2014 class, especially if Angus Brayshaw (pick 3) can get a decent run at it. Christian Petracca (2), Alex Neal-Bullen (40), Billy Stretch (42) and Oscar McDonald (53) all look great choices, along with rookie elevation Neville Jetta.
WORST
The late “noughties” were a slow motion train wreck for Demon fans. The 2009 draft is infamous for picks 1 and 2 (Tom Scully and Jack Trengove) before Richmond took Dustin Martin at 3, followed by Jordan Gysberts (11) and Luke Tapscott (18). But recruiters can hang their hats on pick 34 — Max Gawn. The 2011 draft, however, was a complete wipeout, with Rory Taggert (36) playing zero games, Josh Tynan (52) making two AFL appearances and James Sellar (54) gone after 23 matches. To top it off, the Dees traded away pick 12 (Sam Docherty) to the Brisbane Lions for Mitch Clark.
NORTH MELBOURNE
BEST
North took Adam Simpson (14) and David King (46) in the 1993 draft, along with a handful of other players you won’t remember. But that is still a huge tick. In 1995 the Roos recruited four players who played 10 games between them plus Scott Welsh (36 for North and 205 overall) and all-time games record-holder Brent Harvey, who amazingly arrived via pick 47.
WORST
The Kangaroos didn’t cover themselves in glory at the 2003 draft, taking David Trotter (9), Chad Jones (24), Eddie Sainsbury (40) and Brent LeCras (56). They did, however, promote a rookie named Michael Firrito who retired after playing 216 more games than all the club’s national draft picks that year put together.
PORT ADELAIDE
BEST
You don’t hear about it as much as the Hawks, but Port also has two blockbuster drafts to boast about. In 2000 it recruited Shaun Burgoyne (12), Kane Cornes (20) and Dom Cassisi (50) — who have combined for 869 games and counting. Port recruiters matched that effort in 2006 when they selected Travis Boak (5), Paul Stewart (23), Nathan Krakouer (39) before shooting the lights out by nabbing Robbie Gray (55) and Justin Westhoff (71).
WORST
Port had only three picks in 2009 but they were all in the top 16. They used the final pick on Jasper Pittard, which gets a pass, but the first two secured John Butcher (8) and Andrew Moore (9), who both class as busts considering their high draft value. In 2001 Port took Barry Brooks at 15 and he was gone from the club after 12 months and zero games, and from the game a few years later.
RICHMOND
BEST
Throw a blanket over the 2006, ’07 and ’09 drafts that were the source of a premiership nucleus. In ’09 the Tigers used pick 3 on Dustin Martin and picked up David Astbury at 35, while 2007 brought superstars Trent Cotchin (2) and Alex Rance (18). But 2006 might win for overall Grand Final impact. Richmond used its first selection (13) on Jack Riewoldt and pick 26 on September specialist Shane Edwards. Add pick 73 Andy Collins, who played only 25 games but was traded to Carlton in a straight swap for Shaun Grigg, who has played 147 times for the Tigers and was also in the best on Grand Final day.
WORST
No shortage of candidates here, either. In 1999 the Tigers traded up the order to get pick 3, then famously overlooked Matthew Pavlich in favour of Aaron Fiora. Subsequent picks Ezra Poyas, Scott Homewood and Andrew Mills delivered little, with Ty Zantuck decent value at 78. The 2005 draft was a complete write-off — Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls, Cleve Hughes and Travis Casserly were all misses. But the title has to go to 2004 when the Tigers picked a bad year to make their big draft play, securing five selections in the top 20 and using them on one star (Brett Deledio) and four fails (Richard Tambling, Danny Meyer, Adam Pattison and Dean Polo), before taking Luke McGuane, Dean Limbach and ex-Hawk Mark Graham with later picks.
Note: Using pick 1 on dud South Australian ruckman Richard Lounder in 1987 has brought decades of derision, but the Tigers selected Tasmanian Brendon Gale with pick 27 that year. He played 244 games and later as CEO turned the club around and laid the foundations for a breakthrough premiership. So we’re reclassifying that draft as a big win.
ST KILDA
BEST
The Saints made the best of the 2001 super draft, taking Luke Ball (2), Xavier Clarke (5), Nick Dal Santo (13), Matt Maguire (21) and Leigh Montagna (37) — that’s a straight flush. Rookie elevation Stephen Milne is the joker in the pack. Coming the year after Nick Riewoldt and Justin Koschitzke arrived with picks 1 and 2, it built the core of a team that appeared in two Grand Finals and a Replay.
WORST
The Saints fell in a draft black hole from 2008-10 with three straight years of misses — although top picks Tom Lynch (12, 2008) and Jamie Cripps (24, 2010) have enjoyed success at other clubs. In 2009 St Kilda selected Nick Winmar (32), Jesse Smith (60), Adam Pattison (64), Will Johnson (77) and traded pick 16 for Andrew Lovett. Ouch.
SYDNEY
BEST
Get in the way back machine and travel to 1994, when the Swans were coming off three successive wooden spoons. They had a great draft hand and scooped the pool with Anthony Rocca (2), Shannon Grant (3), Matthew Nicks (21), Michael O’Loughlin (40), Troy Luff (74) and zone selection Leo Barry. They had pick 5 too, but traded it for a bloke named Tony Lockett.
WORST
Remember 2006 recruits Daniel O’Keefe (15) and Peter Faulks (65)? Neither do we. Jesse White (79) played 123 games for Sydney and Collingwood without ever really cementing his spot — a fair effort — and pick 49 Daniel Currie did even better by lasting until the end of 2017 despite being delisted by three clubs. There are question marks on the 2009 class of Gary Rohan (6), Lewis Jetta (14), Sam Reid (38), Byron Sumner (54) and Trent Dennis-Lane (55), although Jetta and Reid are premiership players.
WEST COAST
BEST
The Eagles will find it hard to beat their own original super draft in 1989, when they picked up premiership heroes Peter Matera (4), Tony Evans (64), Brett Heady (92 — seriously), Ashley McIntosh (106 — this is getting silly) and Dean Kemp with a post-draft selection after he had been overlooked in the first 116 picks. Not bad value for a Norm Smith medallist and Hall of Famer.
WORST
What do these players have in common: Shane Sikora, Jaxon Crabb, Brandon Hill, Andrew McDougall and Troy Wilson? They were all taken with the Eagles’ first pick at a national draft inside the top 12 selections between 1994 and 2001. The 1994 draft class also included Ashley Blurton (37), Jeremy Dyer (44), Ian Downsborough (54) and Jason Spinks (71). The group played a combined 33 games, with pick 12 Sikora contributing zero.
WESTERN BULLDOGS
BEST
The Dogs’ 1999 draft has gone down in club — and AFL — folklore. Here’s the roll call: 13 Bob Murphy, 32 Daniel Giansiracusa, 37 Mitch Hahn, 43 Lindsay Gilbee, 58 Patrick Bowden, 66 Ryan Hargrave. The 2012 group was touted as a modern equivalent, delivering Jake Stringer (5), Jack Macrae (6) and Lachie Hunter (49) plus promoted rookie Jason Johannisen. Stringer’s shock trade puts it in a different light, but those four were a big part of a premiership.
WORST
The Dogs’ gun recruiters may have taken a holiday in 1997-98 with successive draft busts. Mark Alvey was the Dogs’ top pick in ‘97 followed by Robert Stevenson, Anthony Aloi and Paul Digiovine, none of whom made a senior appearance. The next year the Dogs took Luke Penny at 14 (he was gone after 35 games), used pick 30 on Nicky Winmar in the twilight of his career, then selected Jay Solomon (46, 0 games), Ricky Symes (61, 0 games) and Christin Macri (73, 5 games).
Originally published as Every AFL club’s best and worst draft class
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