Who are your club’s rookie draft success stories and the stars that got away

A BROWNLOW Medallist, premiership players and All-Australians. The rookie draft has produced some of the AFL’s greatest success stories.

Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti is one of Essendon’s rookie list success stories. Picture: Colleen Petch

A BROWNLOW Medallist, premiership players, club captains and All-Australians.

The rookie draft has produced some of the AFL’s greatest success stories since it was introduced before the 1997 season.

Port Adelaide held the inaugural pick, selecting Jason Dylan.

SECOND CHANCE: SNUBBED DRAFTEES WHO DESERVE ROOKIE LIFELINE

LIST GURU: GARY BUCKENARA RATES YOUR CLUB’S DRAFT HAUL

FAMILY LINK: CATS, CROWS SET SIGHTS ON FATHER-SON ROOKIES

While Dylan never played a game, names such as Mal Michael, Mark Johnson, Russell Robertson and Nathan Bassett found their way onto AFL lists.

Originally set up for players aged 18-23, rookie list rules were relaxed in 2006 to allow one mature-age (older than 26) selection and today there are no age restrictions.

While in 2006, we saw the introduction of international rookies and later Category B rookies, which has seen Mason Cox, Ciaran Byrne and Conor McKenna drafted.

Our criteria for rookie draft success is 100 AFL games or recent draftees showing first-team potential.

Rory Laird started his AFL career on the rookie list in 2011. Picture: Phil Hillyard

ADELAIDE CROWS

Successes: Michael Doughty (No.4, 1999), Nathan Bock (25, 2001), Ben Rutten (40, 2001), Marty Mattner (51, 2001), Jason Porplyzia (29, 2002), Ricky Henderson (10, 2008), Matthew Wright (33, 2009), Rory Laird (5, 2011), Charlie Cameron (7, 2013)

One that got away: Ed Curnow (40, 2007)

BRISBANE LIONS

Successes: Robert Copeland (No.66, 2000), Joel Macdonald (70, 2002), Cheynee Stiller (49, 2005), Pearce Hanley (38, 2007)

One that got away: Jack Crisp (40, 2011)

CARLTON

Successes: Mark Porter (No.10, 1996), Bret Thornton (11, 2001), Andrew Carrazzo (2, 2003), Michael Jamison (17, 2006), Jeff Garlett (6, 2008), Levi Casboult (44, 2009), Simon White (56, 2009), Zach Tuohy (73, 2009), Ed Curnow (18, 2010), Tom Bell (14, 2011)

One that got away: Sam Jacobs (1, 2006)

Ed Curnow was on Adelaide’s rookie list before being drafted by Carlton. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

One-time rookie Nick Maxwell went on to captain Collingwood. Picture: Michael Klein

COLLINGWOOD

Successes: Tarkyn Lockyer (No.39, 1997), Nick Maxwell (15, 2002), Heritier Lumumba (20, 2004), Alan Toovey (2, 2005), Sharrod Wellingham (10, 2006), Brent Macaffer (26, 2006), Jarryd Blair (27, 2008), Marley Williams (35, 2011), Jack Frost (42, 2012), Mason Cox (60, 2014, international), Josh Smith (25, 2015)

One that got away: Mal Michael (6, 96)

ESSENDON

Successes: Mark Johnson (No.12, 1996), Gary Moorcroft (27, 1996), Dean Rioli (3, 1997), Damien Peverill (32, 2000), Nathan Lovett-Murray (27, 2003), Heath Hocking (20, 2005), Ben Howlett (30, 2009), Stewart Crameri (43, 2009), Mark Baguley (47, 2011), Patrick Ambrose (26, 2013), Anthony McDonald-Tipungwuti (22, 2015)

One that got away: Josh Jenkins (12, 2010)

FREMANTLE

Successes: Antoni Grover (No.32, 1998), Roger Hayden (21, 2000), Aaron Sandilands (33, 2001), Steven Dodd (51, 2002), Paul Duffield (10, 2003), Ryan Crowley (39, 2004), Matt de Boer (19, 2008), Clancee Pearce (48, 2008), Greg Broughton (73, 2008), Michael Barlow (8, 2009), Lee Spurr (8, 11)

2002 rookie draft pick Max Rooke - with Brad Ottens - celebrates Geelong’s 2009 premiership.

GEELONG

Successes: Max Rooke (No.41, 2000), Shannon Byrnes (40, 2002), James Podsiadly (50, 2009), Mark Blicavs (54, 2011)

One that got away: Shane Mumford (57, 2007)

GOLD COAST

Successes: Danny Stanley (No.5, 2009), Adam Saad (25, 2014), Ryan Davis (38, 2015)

GWS GIANTS

Successes: Zac Williams (No.55, 2012, Academy)

HAWTHORN

Successes: Michael Osborne (No.11, 2000), Robert Campbell (27, 2000), Brad Sewell (7, 2002), Clinton Young (18, 2004), Stephen Gilham (34, 2005), Matthew Suckling (22, 2006), Luke Breust (48, 2008), Will Langford (85, 2010), Jon Ceglar (15, 2012)

One that got away: Shane Tuck (24, 1999)

Russell Robertson flies high for a mark against Fremantle.

MELBOURNE

Successes: Daniel Ward (No.18, 1996), Matthew Bishop (33, 1996), Russell Robertson (48, 1996), James McDonald (77, 1996), Peter Walsh (49, 1997), Darren Jolly (31, 2000), Mark Jamar (6, 2001), Aaron Davey (3, 2003), Aaron vandenBerg (2, 2014), Josh Wagner (6, 2015)

One that got away: Nathan Bassett (3, 1996)

NORTH MELBOURNE

Successes: Leigh Harding (No.13, 2000), Michael Firrito (10, 2002), Josh Gibson (7, 2004), Scott McMahon (38, 2004), Leigh Adams (3, 2006), Majak Daw (9, 2009), Aaron Mullett (34, 2010), Sam Gibson (63, 2011)

One that got away: Kent Kingsley (29, 1998)

PORT ADELAIDE

Successes: Dean Brogan (No.26, 1999), Danyle Pearce (16, 2004), Tom Logan (52, 2005), Tom Jonas (16, 2010)

One that got away: Joel Patful (14, 2002)

Danyle Pearce won the AFL Rising Star. Picture: Justin Sanson

Jake King was a cult hero at Richmond. Picture: Michael Klein

RICHMOND

Successes: Greg Tivendale (20, 1997), Nathan Foley (4, 2003), Jake King (24, 2006), Robin Nahas (8, 2008), Anthony Miles (27, 2013), Kane Lambert (46, 2014)

ST KILDA

Successes: Stephen Milne (No.23, 1999), Clinton Jones (9, 2006), Jarryn Geary (58, 2006), Zac Dawson (13, 2008), Mav Weller (20, 2013), Jack Sinclair (1, 2014)

One that got away: Mark Hutchings (20, 09)

SYDNEY SWANS

Successes: Brett Kirk (No.40, 1998), Tadhg Kennelly (9, 1999), Paul Bevan (64, 2002), Heath Grundy (42, 2004), Kieren Jack (58, 2005), Nick Smith (15, 2006), Mike Pyke (57, 2008), Harry Cunningham (49, 2011), Jack Lloyd (16, 2012), Dane Rampe (37, 2012), Tom Papley (14, 2015)

One that got away: Sam Rowe (62, 2005)

Matthew Priddis was the first former rookie to win a Brownlow Medal. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

WEST COAST EAGLES

Successes: Chad Fletcher (No.28, 1997), Dean Cox (28, 1999), Quinten Lynch (19, 2001), Mark Nicoski (25, 2002), Brett Jones (9, 2003), Matt Priddis (31, 2005), Jeremy McGovern (44, 2010), Callum Sinclair (12, 2012)

WESTERN BULLDOGS

Successes: Matthew Boyd (No.23, 2001), Dale Morris (19, 2004), Jarrod Harbrow (27, 2006), Liam Picken (30, 2008), Luke Dahlhaus (22, 2010), Jason Johannisen (39, 2010), Lin Jong (9, 2011)

Matthew Boyd and Luke Dahlhaus arrived at Whitten Oval via the rookie draft. Picture: David Caird

Originally published as Who are your club’s rookie draft success stories and the stars that got away