Every AFL club’s draft haul since 2000 analysed

Carlton has had the most high-profile, top-tier draft picks outside the expansion clubs since the turn of the century. How do they stack in 24 years in?

There are many ways teams try to build their playing lists to have a crack at success in the AFL.

Free agency, in addition to trades, has further expanded the player movement market and given teams more levers to re-jig, re-set, rebuild and top-up their lists in their pursuits of glory.

But drafting is arguably still king in the AFL.

And for two-time flag winning coach Malcolm Blight, there is a greater imperative on teams getting their top-30 picks right.

“If you can get those picks inside the top 30, that first round-and-a-half in drafts, it just seems to me if you can net a number of those it is really big,” Blight told this masthead in 2022.

“All you need is five (really good) players over a period of those three to four years, if they are the right ones they drive you to the top four and games are on again and you can hopefully win one.”

So how has your club fared this century when it comes to who it has selected with its top-30 picks?

There’s a case to make for Patrick Dangerfield but his exit still hurts Crows fans to this day. Talia became Adelaide’s rock down back when the Crows were one of the best teams in the comp. As for Angwin, his solo season in Adelaide where he didn’t play a game is still spoken about in SA with him for a while the Crows highest ever draft pick.

When so many other players left the Lions, Rich stayed and helped Brisbane emerge from its dark patch to become a perennial contender over the last couple of years. Schache showed great potential as a junior but didn’t reach this in Queensland and after two years was off to the Western Bulldogs for a modest return.

Charlie Curnow is a superstar of the game but there’s no looking past Cripps, who has become inspirational for the Blues and looks set to be rewarded for his loyalty and patience with a crack at a flag. Bootsma was sacked by the Blues for “inappropriate behaviour” regarding messages he sent on social media.

Nick Daicos could be in the mix in a couple of years but Pendlebury has pretty much done it all in the AFL and is closing in on 400 games. Freeman came to Collingwood with great hype but had a horror run with injuries and was never able to get going at the Pies – something that unfortunately ended up defining his career.

Merrett has become one of the best midfielders of the competition and his style of leadership is exactly what the Bombers need right now. What Essendon fans don’t need is a reminder of the players that were taken after Gumbleton – Travis Boak (5), Joel Selwood (7) to name a few – but the forward was plagued by injuries at the Bombers.

The Dockers hit absolute gold with Fyfe, with him right in the mix as Fremantle’s best player ever if he isn’t. Dunn was number 10 in one of the weaker drafts in this period but injuries and lack of form meant he could never get going at the Dockers.

There’s a couple of names who could be the boom for Geelong but at the end of the day surely it has to be Selwood, who became captain courageous for the Cats. Cockatoo had the talent but his body just let him down at Geelong and he could never deliver on his potential.

Miller has become one of the best mids in the competition and is already a Gold Coast legend. There’s a few names that could be a bust, but Scrimshaw couldn’t really ever break into the side before requesting a trade.

There can only be one boom here. When he is on Greene is one of the best players in the competition and has won respect from the competition since becoming the Giants captain. Pickett never managed a game for GWS and only 17 for next club Carlton despite being highly rated.

Luke Hodge and Jarryd Roughead have strong cases but Franklin became a generational talent and was near unstoppable at times for the Hawks. Thorp only managed two games for Hawthorn and to rub salt further into the wound a certain Joel Selwood went one pick later.

It took him some time but Petracca has realised his talent to become one of the stars of the competition and will go down in Demons history for his 2021 Grand Final performance. Molan was part of the 2001 ‘SuperDraft’ but never played a game after a shocking run with injuries, including a broken leg, cartilage tear and then in one contest suffered a broken collarbone, ruptured ACL and concussion.

Wells became a gun for the Roos with his classy skills and speed. Smith barely played for North Melbourne and has interestingly become one of multiple players who were taken No. 6 to not work out.

The Power might be forever grateful to Boak that he didn’t seek a move home during Port’s dark days. A warrior on the field, Boak actually got better once he hit 30, which is a testament to the work he did off the field. They called Butcher the “future” at Port but he could never make his mark in the present for the Power.

Arguably the best big game player in the history of the AFL, when Dusty does hang the boots up he will have a honours list few can compete with. Tambling did play over 100 games so it is a bit rough on him but Lance Franklin went a pick after him.

The Saints got exactly what was advertised with Riewoldt as he became their inspirational captain and one of the best forwards in the competition. It is harsh on McCartin given his Saints career was prematurely ended by concussion issues but with two of the next four players going after him being Christian Petracca and Jordan De Goey it hurt the Saints massively.

In McVeigh the Swans got a premiership captain and legend of the club. O’Keefe was hit extremely hard through injuries and he could never got on the park for Sydney.

Yeah he left for Carlton but Judd was an absolute gun at the Eagles and led them to a flag. Much maligned by Eagles fans for underachieving McDougall did kick 35 goals in 2004 but was plagued by injuries and indifferent form.

Only one man you can put as the Dogs boom. Bontempelli will go down as the Bulldogs’ greatest ever player if he isn’t already, can he get the Brownlow that has so far eluded him? Walsh was a promising forward but only managed one game because of injuries and Sydney premiership captain Jarrad McVeigh went the following pick.

Originally published as Every AFL club’s draft haul since 2000 analysed