Robbie Gray and Rory Sloane top the list of biggest AFL draft steals by the Power and Crows
Who are the greatest national draft steals in Adelaide and Port Adelaide history? Less than a week from the 2018 national draft, we have scoured the history books to look back on how some of the game’s biggest stars slipped through the net.
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Just who are the greatest national draft steals in Adelaide and Port Adelaide history?
Less than a week from the 2018 national draft where SA is expected to have three players selected inside the top-10, we have scoured the history books to look back on how some of the game’s biggest stars slipped through the net.
Justin Westhoff is now third on Port Adelaide’s all-time AFL games played list and has just won his first best-and-fairest — not bad for pick No. 71 in 2006.
But the man who went just 16 spots in front of him, Robbie Gray at No. 55 that year, might yet finish his career as the Power’s greatest ever player.
Four-time All-Australian, three-time club champion and one of the most mercurial clearance players and goal kickers in the competition, Gray slid to No. 55 in the draft because he didn’t necessarily look like a professional footballer.
He wasn’t the fittest player in the TAC Cup and didn’t play a lot of midfield minutes, but once he was in the AFL system he never looked back.
The same goes for Rory Sloane at Adelaide. He was overlooked in his first draft year as a 17-year-old mainly because of his unfashionable kicking style, before Adelaide took him with Pick No. 44 in 2008 and he has since become the team’s best player.
What constitutes a draft steal is open to interpretation. Gray, Sloane and Westhoff at picks 44 and beyond are genuine bargains. But so is Patrick Dangerfield who was Pick No. 10 in 2007 and became an All-Australian and best-and-fairest when he left for the Cats.
The Power knew it was getting a very good player when it drafted Kane Cornes at No. 20 in 2000, but did it know it would get a games record holder, four-time club champion and two-time All-Australian?
SA’S TOP 10 GREATEST NATIONAL DRAFT STEALS
1. PICK No. 55, 2006,
Robbie Gray (Port Adelaide)
Has played 199 games, is a four-time All-Australian, four-time Showdown Medallist and three-time club champion.
2. PICK No. 44, 2008,
Rory Sloane (Adelaide)
Is an All-Australian midfielder, a two-time best-and-fairest, vice captain and one of the best clearance players in the competition after 177 games.
3. PICK No. 71, 2006,
Justin Westhoff (Port Adelaide)
From a hopeful selection at pick 71, Westhoff is now a club champion and sits third on the all-time games record list at the Power with 248 and will move up to second next year.
4. PICK No. 20, 2000,
Kane Cornes (Port Adelaide)
Premiership player, games record holder (300), four-time club champion, two-time All-Australian is a very good return from pick 20.
5. PICK No. 23, 2013,
Matt Crouch (Adelaide)
Looking better and better every season. Crouch won a best-and-fairest and claimed All-Australian honours inside his first 70 games.
6. PICK No. 10, 2007,
Patrick Dangerfield (Adelaide)
Dangerfield played 154 games in eight seasons at Adelaide, won a best-and-fairest and was a three-time All-Australian before joining Geelong. Would go No. 1 if that draft was held again today.
7. PICK No. 50, 2000,
Dom Cassisi (Port Adelaide)
Played 228 games, captained the club for four years, won a flag and there were a lot of players taken before him who didn’t do half of that.
8. PICK No. 67, 2000,
Graham Johncock (Adelaide)
The Crows struck gold late in the draft with Johncock who became one of their most versatile swingmen switching from forward to defence and polled 30 Brownlow Medal votes in 227 games.
9. PICK No. 37, 1996,
Adam Kingsley (Port Adelaide)
Port Adelaide had a swag of zone selections in its inaugural national draft but still found a player beyond that with Kingsley at 37 from Essendon’s reserves. He played 170 games, won a best-and-fairest and a premiership.
10. PICK No. 12, 2000,
Shaun Burgoyne (Port Adelaide)
Port didn’t have a pick until 12 in 2000 and would have been quietly very pleased that Burgoyne was still around. Won a premiership, All-Australian and Showdown Medal honours in 157 games before joining Hawthorn.