AFL Draft: Every club’s biggest hits and misses in the past ten years
Top draft picks are always coveted but sometimes the best players can be plucked with selections very late in the draft. Who is your club’s biggest bargain?
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It’s the challenge for every club recruiter. Get it right and you could put your club on the pathway to a potential dynasty. Get it wrong and it can take years to climb back up the mountain. As every list manager turns their eye to Monday’s draft, we take a look at back at every club’s hits and misses across the past decade.
ADELAIDE
Hits
1. Rory Laird (Rookie draft pick 5, 2012) 202 games, contracted until 2026
2. Reilly O’Brien (Rookie draft pick 9, 2015) 77 games, contracted until 2025
3. Tom Doedee (National pick 17, 2015) 71 games, contracted until 2023
Laird and O’Brien found an avenue to Adelaide via the rookie draft and both have proven their worth as club champions. O’Brien claimed the Crows’ best-and-fairest in 2020 and Laird won his third Malcolm Blight Medal in 2022. Laird is also a two-time All-Australian. A first-round draft pick, Doedee is considered an emerging leader at the Crows.
Misses
1. Jordan Gallucci (National pick 15, 2016) 27 games, delisted 2020
2. Harrison Wigg (National pick 35, 2014) 0 games, traded to Gold Coast in 2017
3. Myles Poholke (National pick 44, 2016) 16 games, delisted 2020
Gallucci played 27 games in his four years at the Crows, who could have picked the likes of Jarrod Berry and Tim English, taken behind him in the same draft. Wigg battled injury and didn’t play a senior game in his three years at the Crows before he was traded to the Gold Coast Suns, while Poholke managed 16 games in his four years at the club.
BRISBANE
Hits
1. Harris Andrews (national pick 61 2014) – 160 games, signed to 2025
2. Zac Bailey (national pick 15 2017) – 94 games, signed to 2024
3. Brandon Starcevich (national pick 18 2017) – 71 games, signed to 2024
Andrews was an academy pick for the Lions but has become one of the best defenders in the competition. On top of Cam Rayner at No. 1, the 2017 draft was a big one for the Lions with Bailey and Starcevich becoming key players for Brisbane.
Misses
1. Josh Schache (national pick 2 2015) – 27 games, traded to the Western Bulldogs in 2017
2. Ely Smith (national pick 21 2018) – 0 games, delisted in 2022
3. Sam Skinner (national pick 47 2015) – 3 games, delisted in 2020
Schache came to the Lions as a gun junior after dominating his draft year but was traded despite being contracted until 2019. He went ahead of players such as Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow. Smith and Skinner both had bad luck with injuries while at the Lions, which meant they couldn’t really make a go of it at AFL level.
CARLTON
Hits
1. Patrick Cripps (national pick 13, 2013) – 159 games, contracted until 2027
2. Charlie Curnow (national pick 12, 2015) – 84 games, contracted until 2029
3. Harry McKay (national pick 10, 2015) – 86 games, contracted until 2030
Stephen Silvagni and the Blues’ list management team hit the jackpot with their drafting in 2015, securing Jacob Weitering (pick 1), McKay (pick 10) and Curnow (pick 12) with their first three selections. McKay and Curnow have both battled injuries during the early parts of their careers, but kicked 45 and 64 goals respectively this year. Brownlow Medal winner Cripps was the selection after Richmond took Ben Lennon (21 games) at pick 12 in 2013.
Misses
1. Dillon Viojo-Rainbow (national pick 28, 2014) – 0 games, delisted 2016
2. Blaine Boekhorst (national pick 19, 2014) – 25 games, delisted 2017
3. Liam Stocker (national pick 19, 2018) – 28 games, delisted 2022
The 2014 national draft was not a good one for the Blues, who had two top-30 picks but selected two players who played a combined 25 games for the club in Viojo-Rainbow and Boekhorst. Essendon chose Jayden Laverde with the next selection after Boekhorst, while Gold Coast’s Touk Miller and Collingwood’s Brayden Maynard were the next two picks after Viojo-Rainbow. Stocker was always harshly judged after being the first player drafted through a live trade.
COLLINGWOOD
Hits
1. Darcy Moore (National pick 9 father-son, 2014) 126 games, contracted until 2028
2. Brayden Maynard (National pick 30, 2014) 161 games, contracted until 2025
3. Josh Daicos (National pick 57 father-son, 2016) 77 games, contracted until 2024
Considered a future leader at Collingwood, Moore has become one of the Magpies’ most important players. The star backman was an All-Australian in 2020, third in the Copeland Trophy this year and has locked in his long-term future at the club. Maynard was the Magpies’ second pick in the same draft and is also a critical piece in the club’s line-up. A defensive enforcer, Maynard won All-Australian selection this year. The Magpies had to outlay a bit more for his Rising Star brother Nick, but Josh Daicos’ selection at 57 was a pretty handy deal for the club. Elevated his game again in 2022 and was named in the All-Australian squad.
Misses
1. Jaidyn Stephenson (National pick 6, 2017) 54 games, traded to North Melbourne 2020
2. Nathan Freeman (National pick 10, 2013) 0 games, traded to St Kilda 2015 (delisted 2018)
3. Matthew Scharenberg (National pick 6, 2013) 41 games, delisted 2020
A top-10 draft pick in 2017, Stephenson had an impressive debut season at the Magpies but struggled to make an impact after that. He managed only 14 games in each of his next two seasons before being traded to the Kangaroos. Another top-10 pick, injury-prone Freeman’s body never allowed his career to get off the ground. Freeman didn’t play a game in his two seasons at Collingwood due to hamstring injuries before moving onto St Kilda where he managed just two games. Scharenberg was another whose career at the Magpies was hindered by injury with three anterior cruciate ligament injuries restricting him to just 41 games in his seven years at the club.
ESSENDON
Hits
1. Zach Merrett (National pick 26, 2013) – 184 games, contracted until 2027
2. Darcy Parish (National pick 5, 2015) – 132 games, contracted until 2023
3. Mason Redman (National pick 30, 2015) – 80 games, contracted until 2023
A second-round draft selection in the 2013 national draft, Merrett has since established himself as one of the Bombers most important players. The Bombers’ vice-captain has been a three-time club best-and-fairest and a two-time All-Australian. Merrett is the obvious candidate to take over as Essendon captain if Dyson Heppell steps aside. Parish was a top-five pick, but has proven his credentials, earning All-Australian selection and finishing top-five in the Brownlow Medal in his break-out 2021 season. A second-round selection in 2015, Redman was one of the Bombers’ best in 2022.
Misses
1. Aaron Francis (National pick 6, 2015) – 54 games, traded to Sydney
2. Irving Mosquito (National pick 38, 2018) – four games, retired 2020.
3. Jason Ashby (National pick 34, 2012) – 12 games, delisted 2016
Essendon’s second pick in the 2015 national draft at No. 6 overall, Francis’ career never took off at the Bombers, managing 54 games in his seven seasons at the club. He played only four games in 2022 before being traded to Sydney. Mosquito was Essendon’s first selection in the 2018 national draft, but the club only got four games out of him before injury and loss of motivation led to an early retirement from the AFL. The speedy goalsneak injured his ACL in 2020 before deciding he didn’t have the passion required to get back to playing, so called time on his career at the age of just 21. Ashby was the Bombers’ second pick behind father-son Joe Daniher in the 2012 draft, but made just 12 senior appearances in three seasons before he was delisted.
FREMANTLE
Hits
1. Luke Ryan (national pick 66, 2016) – 109 games, contracted to 2023
2. Sean Darcy (national pick 38, 2016) – 83 games, contracted to 2024
3. Brennan Cox (national pick 41, 2016) – 82 games, contracted to 2024
Fremantle came away with a significant draft haul in 2016. Taken as a mature-ager, Ryan has become a best-and-fairest winner, All-Australian and reliable defender. Darcy was overlooked by a swag of clubs but was now among the league’s top ruckmen. Cox is a quality swingman coming-off a career-best season that included selection in the All-Australian squad of 40.
Misses
1. Josh Simpson (national pick 17, 2012) – 2 games, delisted in 2014
2. Michael Apeness (national pick 17, 2013) – 12 games, retired in 2018
3. Tanner Smith (national pick 36, 2012) – 4 games, delisted in 2016
The Dockers have not had many early picks not pan out but they had two in consecutive years with the same selection. Midfielder Simpson was drafted one spot ahead of Brodie Grundy then axed after off-field problems, while injuries hampered ruckman Apeness who opted to retire at age 23. Key forward Smith managed just four games in four seasons.
GEELONG
Hits
1. Tom Stewart (national pick 40, 2016) – 126 games, contracted until 2025
2. Jack Henry (rookie pick 16, 2016) – 107 games, contracted until 2024
3. Tom Atkins (rookie pick 11, 2018) – 82 games, contracted until 2025
A mature-aged draftee who was plucked from local football, Stewart has been a remarkable defender for the Cats and has been a constant down back since debuting in 2017. In a six-season career, Stewart has already been named an All-Australian on four occasions as well as being a best-and-fairest winner in 2021 and a premiership player in 2022. Henry and Atkins are both one-time rookies who have made their mark at AFL level and featured in Geelong’s
premiership this year.
Misses
1. Nakia Cockatoo (national pick 10, 2014) – 34 games, traded to Brisbane at end of 2018
2. Jarrad Jansen (national pick 36, 2013) – 0 games, traded to Brisbane at end of 2015
3. Darcy Lang (national pick 16, 2013) – 44 games, traded to Carlton at end of 2017
A livewire small forward, Cockatoo always showed plenty of promise but could never get his body right at Geelong and has only managed an additional 15 games across two years since joining Brisbane. Jansen featured in eight AFL games across two games for the Lions after failing to crack into the Cats’ senior team. Eleven of the 14 player selected directly after Lang in the 2013 draft have gone on to play over 100 AFL games. His career came to an end on 64 games, following an additional three seasons and 20 games for Carlton.
GOLD COAST
Hits
1. Touk Miller (national pick 29 2014) – 160 games, signed to 2027
2. Adam Saad (rookie pick 25 2014) – 48 games, traded to Essendon in 2017
3. Connor Budarick (rookie pick 16 2019) – 26 games, signed to 2025
Miller is the co-captain of the Suns and could be the club’s greatest ever player in their short history for everything he has given them. Saad did only play three seasons but was a revelation for the Suns, while Budarick looked to be the steal of the Suns big 2019 draft before he suffered a knee injury.
Misses
1. Will Brodie (national pick 9 2016) – 25 games, traded to Fremantle in 2021
2. Jack Scrimshaw (national pick 7 2016) – 4 games, traded to Hawthorn in 2018
3. Jez McLennan (national pick 23 2018) – 0 games, delisted in 2022
The Suns will be extremely disappointed as to how the careers of Brodie and Scrimshaw panned out on the Gold Coast. Especially since both have shown that they can more than play at the level at their new clubs. McLennan was in the 2018 “super draft” but never managed a game at AFL level for the Suns.
GWS
Hits
1. Sam Taylor (national pick 28, 2017) – 75 games, contracted until 2025
2. Rory Lobb (national pick 29, 2013) – 74 games, traded to Fremantle at end of 2018
3. Brent Daniels (national pick 27, 2017) – 62 games, contracted until 2025
Since making his debut in Round 11, 2018, Taylor has played every game he has been available for and the emerging key defender was an All-Australian and club best-and-fairest this year for the first time this year. Lobb has played a further 66 AFL games since moving to the Dockers and is a handy key forward-ruck who has now been traded again to the Western Bulldogs. Injuries have restricted Daniels over the past two years, but he is a very important player for the Giants when he is out on the field with his pressure and nous around goal.
Misses
1. Jonathan O’Rourke (national pick 2, 2012) – 9 games, traded to Hawthorn at end of 2014
2. Jarrod Pickett (national pick 4, 2014) – 0 games, traded to Carlton at end of 2016
3. Aiden Bonar (national pick 11, 2017) – 6 games, traded to North Melbourne at end of 2019
Taken ahead of a top-10 that also included Jake Stringer, Jack Macrae, Ollie Wines, Nick Vlastuin and Joe Daniher, O’Rourke was a major misfire for the Giants in 2012. The midfielder was traded to Hawthorn after just two seasons and played only a further 12 games for the Hawks before his AFL career came to an end at the end of 2018. Pickett – who was taken the pick before Collingwood landed Jordan De Goey – never played a game in his two years at the Giants before being traded to Carlton where he featured in 17 senior games before being delisted in 2019. Bonar only played six games for GWS and has only added another 26 games to that tally in three years with the Kangaroos.
HAWTHORN
Hits
1. James Sicily (National pick 56, 2013) – 115 games, contracted until 2027
2. Mitch Lewis (National pick 76, 2016) – 51 games, contracted until 2026
3. Jai Newcombe (Mid-season rookie selection 2, 2021) – 29 games, contracted until 2023
Considered the most likely candidate to take over as Hawthorn captain following the retirement of ruckman Ben McEvoy, Sicily’s selection in the third round of the 2013 national draft now looks a steal. The star defender won the Hawk’s best-and-fairest in 2022 and will be a long-term leader for the club. Mitch Lewis was a similarly prudent selection at 76. The 24-year-old is the future of the Hawthorn forward-line and was this year locked away on a four-year deal. Newcombe was a gem of a midfield find in the mid-season draft from Box Hill and finished runner-up in the best-and-fairest in his first full season at the club.
Misses
1. Billy Hartung (National pick 24, 2013) 63 games (Hawthorn), delisted by North Melbourne 2018
2. Kieran Lovell (National pick 22, 2015) 2 games, delisted 2018
3. Teia Miles (National pick 49, 2014) 12 games, delisted 2019
Hartung played 63 games across his four seasons with the Hawks before he was delisted and then offered a second chance with North Melbourne, which lasted just one year. But some of the picks behind him in the 2013 draft showed what the Hawks missed out on with Zach Merrett snapped up by Essendon two picks later. Lovell played just two games in his three years at the Hawks before he was delisted, while Miles managed just 12 senior games in his five seasons before he was delisted by the Hawks.
MELBOURNE
Hits
1. Bailey Fritsch (national pick 31, 2017) – 109 games, contracted to 2026
2. James Harmes (rookie pick 2, 2013) – 143 games, contracted to 2024
3. Alex Neal-Bullen (national pick 40, 2014) – 128 games, contracted to 2023
Fritsch has played the most games of all the 2017 draftees since having their names called, becoming one of the competition’s best medium forwards. Harmes was overlooked at the national draft before the Demons pounced and he repaid them in spades. South Australian midfielder/forward Neal-Bullen has been a very handy late selection.
Misses
1. Jimmy Toumpas (national pick 4, 2012) – 37 games, traded to Port Adelaide in 2015
2. Sam Weideman (national pick 9, 2015) – 59 games, traded to Essendon in 2022
3. Fraser Rosman (national pick 34, 2020) – 0 games, delisted in 2022
Toumpas was the latest in a long line of early picks that did not turn out at Melbourne, despite looking a star as a junior in the SANFL. Weideman kicked three goals in the Demons’ 2018 elimination final win over Geelong but was in and out of the side over the next four seasons. Rosman was a tall, versatile wingman who could not crack into a strong Melbourne side post-flag.
NORTH MELBOURNE
Hits
1. Ben Brown (national pick 47, 2013) – 130 games, traded to Melbourne in 2020
2. Nick Larkey (national pick 73 2016) – 71 games, signed to 2024
3. Cam Zurhaar (rookie pick 11 2016) – 83 games, signed to 2024
The Roos plucked Brown out of obscurity at Werribee and he became one of the league’s best full forwards. It didn’t end well but it definitely was a shrewd piece of drafting by the Roos for the time they had Brown. Larkey looks to also be a bargain with the Roos getting their gun key forward late on in his draft. And they backed it up by selecting Zurhaar as a rookie, who is becoming a vital player for North.
Misses
1. Jason Horne-Francis (national pick 1, 2021) – 17 games, traded to Port Adelaide in 2022
2. Daniel Nielson (national pick 25, 2014) – 7 games, delisted in 2018
3. Sam Durdin (national pick 16 2014) – 21 games, delisted in 2020
The selection of Horne-Francis at No. 1 wasn’t a miss, he was the best player on the open draft but the fact the club’s first ever No. 1 draft pick is gone after a year means it has to be regarded as a miss by the Roos. The Roos drafted Nielson ahead of players such as Touk Miller and Brayden Maynard in the top 30 in his draft year. Durdin was the club’s top pick in that draft and they would have expected more from him.
PORT ADELAIDE
Hits
1. Dan Houston (rookie pick 45, 2015) – 121 games, contracted until 2027
2. Darcy Byrne-Jones (national pick 52, 2013) – 150 games, contracted until 2026
3. Karl Amon (national pick 68, 2013) – 124 games, traded to Hawthorn at end of 2022
A bargain buy in the rookie draft, Houston quickly became a staple in the Power’s defence and has missed just a handful of games across the past five years. Byrne-Jones is in a similar boat, remarkably having missed just two senior games since making his debut in Round 3, 2016. Amon has played every game for the past three years but requested a trade to Hawthorn despite Port Adelaide having been very keen to keep him.
Misses
1. Joe Atley (national pick 32, 2016) – 4 games, delisted 2020
2. Dylan Williams (national pick 23, 2019) – 1 game, delisted 2022
3. Mitchell Harvey (national pick 45, 2013) – 0 games, delisted 2015
A second-round draft pick, Atley only ever played four games in four seasons for the Power. However, Port Adelaide picked a handy player with the very next pick in Willem Drew. Williams was delisted in October, having played just one senior game in Round 15, 2021. However, the Power have committed to reselecting the mid-sized forward in the rookie draft. Forward-ruckman Mitchell Harvey was delisted after two years, having not played a senior game.
RICHMOND
Hits
1. Kane Lambert (rookie pick 46, 2014) – 135 games, retired 2022
2. Jayden Short (rookie pick 11, 2014) – 137 games, contracted until 2027
3. Liam Baker (rookie pick 18, 2017) – 87 games, contracted until 2024
Lambert was an often underrated player during Richmond’s premiership years. He was a very handy footballer in his own right but was also an ultimate team man who allowed Dustin Martin to play the role he did. Rebounding defender Short won the Tigers’ best-and-fairest in 2020 and is a two-time premiership player, as is the versatile Baker.
Misses
1. Riley Collier-Dawkins (national pick 20, 2018) – 11 games, delisted 2022
2. Ben Lennon (national pick 12, 2013) – 28 games, delisted 2017
3. Corey Ellis (national pick 12, 2014) – 27 games, traded to Gold Coast at end of 2018
The Tigers weren’t the only club that rated Collier-Dawkins highly in the 2018 draft but he wasn’t able to develop into the player they hoped at Punt Rd. Carlton captain and 2022 Brownlow Medal winner Patrick Cripps was the very next pick behind Lennon in the 2013 draft, while Ellis was taken two spots ahead of Melbourne premiership defender Jake Lever.
ST KILDA
Hits
1. Rowan Marshall (rookie pick 10, 2016) – 86 games, contracted until 2027
2. Callum Wilkie (rookie pick 3, 2018) – 85 games, contracted until 2024
3. Josh Battle (national pick 39, 2016) – 77 games, contracted until 2024
A powerful ruckman who can also go forward, Marshall was overlooked in his draft year in 2014 but was eventually picked up by the Saints in the rookie draft at the end of 2016 after catching the eye of recruiters while playing for North Ballarat in the VFL. Wilkie was a rookie selection out of North Adelaide in the SANFL, who incredibly has not missed a game since debuting in Round 1, 2019. Battle has been a regular in St Kilda’s senior team over the past four years, showing an ability to play as a key forward and a key defender.
Misses
1. Spencer White (national pick 25, 2012) – 2 games, delisted 2015
2. Hugh Goddard (national pick 21, 2014) – 10 games, delisted 2018
3. Brandon White (national pick 40, 2015) – 11 games, delisted 2019
A 196cm forward, White started his career with a bang as he kicked three goals on debut against Richmond in the second-last round of the season in 2014. He kicked one goal in his second game the following week, but couldn’t crack a senior game in 2015 and was consequently delisted at the end of that year. White was taken ahead of other key position players including Tim O’Brien (pick 28), Mason Wood (pick 41) and Tim Membrey (pick 46) in his draft. After being delisted by the Saints, Goddard went on to be picked up by Carlton in the rookie draft but played only two more AFL games across two years for the Blues. A mid-sized defender, White spend five years on the Saints’ list but managed less than a dozen senior games.
SYDNEY
Hits
1. Isaac Heeney (National pick 18, 2014) 154 games, contracted until 2028
2. Callum Mills (National pick 3, 2015) 135 games, contracted until 2029
3. Tom Papley (Rookie pick 14, 2016) 141 games, contracted until 2028
Both products of the Sydney Academy, Heeney and Mills have both become two of Sydney’s biggest stars and most important players. The pair both made the 2022 All-Australian team, while Mills also won his first club best-and-fairest award this year. Papley is a rookie success story and has become one of the best small forwards in the competition. All three have locked in their long-term futures with the club.
Misses
1. Matt Ling (National pick 14, 2017) 4 games, delisted 2021.
2. James Rose (National pick 37, 2014) 14 games, delisted 2019.
3. Jack Maibaum (National pick 45, 2016) 0 games, delisted 2020
Ling managed just four senior games in his time at the Swans, who could have had some handy players taken behind him. Zac Bailey, Ed Richards and Jack Higgins were the next three picks behind Ling in the 2017 draft. Rose played 14 games across five seasons before he was moved on, while Maibaum didn’t play a senior game.
WESTERN BULLDOGS
Hits
1. Marcus Bontempelli (National pick 4, 2013) 193 games, contracted until 2025
2. Jack Macrae (National pick 6, 2012) 208 games, contracted until 2027
3. Bailey Smith (National pick 7, 2018) 84 games, contracted until 2024
Hard to go past ‘The Bont’ as the Bulldogs’ top pick over the past decade. A four-time club champion and four-time All-Australian, he is the heart of the Bulldogs’ team. Ball magnet Jack Macrae has established himself as one of the competition’s best midfielders in his time at the Whitten Oval, earning three All-Australian jackets. Locked in his long-term future at the club with a five-year contract extension earlier this year. Cult hero Bailey Smith is the star of the Bulldogs’ next generation and has the game to match the hair.
Misses
1. Declan Hamilton (National pick 39, 2014) 0 games, delisted 2017
2. Kieran Collins (National pick 26, 2015) 1 game, delisted 2018
3. Lukas Webb (National pick 27, 2014) 24 games, delisted 2019
Hamilton did not play a senior game in his three years at the Kennel before he was delisted. Collins managed just one senior appearance, while Webb played 24 games across four seasons before he was also delisted.
WEST COAST
Hits
1. Tom Barrass (national pick 43, 2013) – 118 games, contracted to 2026
2. Mark Hutchings (national pick 60, 2012) – 120 games, delisted in 2021
3. Liam Ryan (national pick 26, 2017) – 86 games, contracted to 2024
Barrass and Hutchings were nice gets late in the draft, both becoming premiership players. Key defender Barrass won the Eagles’ best and fairest this year and was also in the All-Australian squad of 40. Hutchings was a long-time reliable tagger. Drafted at age 21, Ryan has become an All-Australian, flag winner and quality half-forward.
Misses
1. Luke Partington (national pick 28, 2015) – 6 games, delisted in 2018
2. Malcolm Karpany (national pick 31, 2013) – 7 games, delisted in 2018
3. Tom Lamb (national pick 32, 2014) – 1 game, delisted in 2017
Midfielder Partington did not make it at the Eagles but went on to win a Magarey Medal in the SANFL. Speedster Karpany kicked three goals in his fourth game then played just three more matches before being cut. Athletic forward Lamb featured in round 1 in his debut season then never again.
Originally published as AFL Draft: Every club’s biggest hits and misses in the past ten years
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