AS THE NAB AFL Draft prepares for its 26th installment on November 24, AFL.com.au nominates the best draft picks of all time - from the highest selection ever (No.124) to the much-coveted No.1 pick.*

Here are picks No.124 through to 81.

124 - BRAYDEN LYLE (WEST COAST)
Recruited from: Port Adelaide Magpies (1992)
Lyle has the distinction of being the highest AFL draft selection of all time, claimed at No.124. He played 116 matches - an excellent result for a player taken so far down the pecking order. After playing 26 matches with West Coast from 1995-96, he became an inaugural Port Adelaide player, making 90 appearances from 1997-01. He was also a vice-captain during his time at the Power.

123 - MARTY CHRISTENSEN (NORTH MELBOURNE)
Recruited from: North Melbourne (1992)
Christensen previously played 69 matches with Geelong from 1985-91 and was then redrafted by the Kangaroos after playing two matches with them in 1992. He didn't add any further games to his tally of 71 after he was taken by North with the pick, however, he is the only pick 123 in draft history.

122 - DAMON MUNT (MELBOURNE)
Recruited from: Norwood (1992)
Munt never played an AFL match, as he didn't make the move across from South Australia to the Demons. By default, he still gets the distinction of being the finest No.122 pick ever.

121 - BEN ELLINGHAUS (HAWTHORN)
Recruited from: Melbourne Grammar (1992)
Ellinghaus was Hawthorn's seventh and final selection in the 1992 draft and did not play an AFL match for the club.

120 - TROY OLSEN (COLLINGWOOD)
Recruited from: Port Adelaide Magpies (1992)
All picks this far down the draft order are speculative, and Olsen lived up to the stereotype. He didn't manage an AFL match with Collingwood after being the club's 10th player selected in the 1992 draft.

119 - SCOTT MORRISON (ST KILDA)
Recruited from: St Kilda (1992)
Originally an under-19s player with North Melbourne in 1991 - the last season of the now-defunct competition - Morrison was later selected that year by St Kilda at No. 82. He spent a year on the club's list, before being delisted. He then gained a reprieve and was redrafted at No. 119 in 1992. A midfielder, Morrison didn't manage an AFL match during his two stints with the Saints.

118 - SCOTT SPALDING (CARLTON)
Recruited from: Perth (1992)
Spalding, the younger brother of 1995 Carlton premiership player Earl, played one game for the Blues against Fitzroy in the opening round of the 1993 season. He accumulated 10 disposals in his only match on the big stage.

117 - VINCE CAPPADONA (ESSENDON)
Recruited from: Geelong Falcons (1992)
The inaugural best-and-fairest winner for the Geelong Falcons and a member of the TAC Cup's Team of the Year in 1992, Cappadona was Essendon's 10th selection in 1992. Despite his impressive junior career - and a name that commentators would no doubt have loved to call out - he didn't play an AFL match.

116 - MICHAEL GODDEN (ADELAIDE)
Recruited from: West Adelaide (1992)
Two players have been selected at No.116 over the journey - Godden and Brendan Bicknell, who was drafted by Hawthorn from Shepparton in 1989. Neither played an AFL match. Godden gets the nod as the best No.116 pick as he played in the SANFL. He also coached Glenelg reserves in 2007-08.

115 - RICHARD MARR (FITZROY)
Recruited from: Central District (1992)
Neither Marr nor Colum McManamon (Geelong - 1989) - the only two players drafted at No.115 - played at the highest level. Although a difficult selection to assess, Marr gets the nod as he came from SANFL club Central District, whereas McManamon hailed from Ireland. In that era, Irish youngsters faced greater challenges to make it at the highest level, compared with the better structures that are in place today.

114 - PAUL WHELAN (FOOTSCRAY)
Recruited from: Ainslie (1992)
Whelan showed plenty of promise as an emerging footballer, impressing in the under-17 championships before he was drafted by the Bulldogs. Due to his potential at the time, he got the nod ahead of Jason Walsgott (Essendon - 1989), who was drafted from West Gambier, although neither played at the top level. Whelan was the 10th player selected by the Bulldogs in the 1992 AFL Draft.

113 - SHANE CROTHERS (GEELONG)
Recruited from: Grovedale (1989)
After his initial drafting, Crothers was later delisted and subsequently redrafted by the Cats in the 1993 Pre-Season Draft (No.34). It was from this point when he played his four AFL matches from 1994-95. But the only other player to be drafted at this selection was Damon Armstrong, who was recruited by North Melbourne from Moama in 1992. He didn't play an AFL match.

112 - ASHLEY McINTOSH (WEST COAST)
Recruited from: Claremont (1989)
Clearly the best No. 112 pick and one of the finest late selections in history. McIntosh was claimed as a father-son selection and proved to be an outstanding key defender for West Coast, playing 242 matches from 1991-03. He was a member of West Coast's premierships in 1992 and 1994.

111 - DAVID NOBLE (FITZROY)
Recruited from: North Hobart (1989)
Two of the three No. 111 picks reached the highest level - Noble, who is now the list manager at Adelaide and Tom Kavanagh (Melbourne - 1988), the son of superstar Brent Crosswell. Interestingly, both played two AFL matches from this pick, although Kavanagh added a further eight games to his career with Fitzroy in 1993-94. Noble gets the nod on technicality, however. He had 30 disposals from his two games, compared to Kavanagh's 18.

110 - JEFF CHANDLER (NORTH MELBOURNE)
Recruited from: North Melbourne (1992)
Chandler played 50 AFL matches for the Kangaroos from 1987-92, but was released at the end of 1992. He was then redrafted by the club at the end of that year, but the defender didn't add to his game tally when he was reinstated on the list. Two other players have been selected at this number - father-son choice Chris Mulcair (Carlton - 1988) and Craig Budarick (Sydney Swans - 1989) but neither graced the field at the top level.

109 - HEATH SHEPHARD (COLLINGWOOD)
Recruited from: Robinvale (1988)
A father/son selection, Shephard shone brightly on debut - booting five goals on against St Kilda in round three, 1989. But he only played 11 matches for the Pies from 1989-90, before adding another four appearances with Brisbane in 1992. He got the nod over David Muir, who was drafted by West Coast in 1992, but played all 20 AFL matches with Fremantle.

108 - PETER MELESSO (WEST COAST)
Recruited from: Claremont (1988)
All three players taken at No.108 played AFL matches, but only Melesso's six games with West Coast from 1989-90 came from this pick. Erich Lissenden (North Melbourne - 1989) and Bryan Beinke (Geelong - 1992) debuted in later years, but had been redrafted or traded by then. Melesso, whose career was cut short by cancer, also played one match with South Melbourne (1981) and seven games with St Kilda (1983-85).

107 - GARY BARROW (FOOTSCRAY)
Recruited from: Footscray (1992)
Although Darren Mead became a fine player for Port Adelaide, he did not  cross from South Australia to play with Essendon, which took him at No. 107 in 1988; so Barrow gets the nod. Originally with Essendon, he was drafted three times during his career, including this pick, where he played four more games with the Bulldogs for a career tally of six.

106 - GARETH JOHN (SYDNEY SWANS)
Recruited from: Gisborne (1988)
Taken as a father-son selection, John played 21 matches with the Swans from 1990-93 and added one more appearance with North Melbourne in 1994. But his career was interrupted when he seriously injured his larynx against Essendon in 1991 during a ruck contest. 

105 - CHRIS GRANT (WESTERN BULLDOGS)
Recruited from: Daylesford (1988)
Unfortunately for Stuart Annand (St Kilda - 1989) and Julian Waite (Collingwood - 1992), they never stood a chance. Chris Grant played 341 matches (from 1990-07) for the Bulldogs, was a club captain, and would have had a Brownlow Medal around his neck in 1997 but was ineligible for the League's best and fairest award. He will surely go down as the finest three-figured draft pick in history.

104 - ANDREW GRIBBLE (GEELONG)
Recruited from: St Peters (1988)
Three players have been drafted at No.104 - Gribble, Tony Trigg (Footscray - 1989) from Bungaree and Andrew Kemp (Hawthorn - 1992) from West Adelaide. It was difficult to assess the best pick for they did not play AFL. Gribble gets the nod as he became a fine footballer in the strong Geelong Football League, winning senior best-and-fairest awards with South Barwon (1993) and Geelong West St Peters (1994).

103 - DEAN POLO (ST KILDA)
Recruited from: Richmond (2010)
In 2010, St Kilda offered Richmond's Dean Polo a lifeline with this late pick, and the former Tiger earned his stripes in the Saints' midfield. Polo played 15 games in his first season with St Kilda and now takes the title as the best No. 103 pick, ahead of Ben Harrison (who played just two of his 161 AFL matches for Carlton from this pick).

102 - DION SHEEHAN (HAWTHORN)
Recruited from: Mansfield (1989)
Sheehan, Shaun Holloway (North Melbourne - 1988) and Jason Bell (Essendon - 1992) are the only three players to have been drafted at No.102. They did not play senior football, although Sheehan's early talent got him the nod. He was the eighth of nine players taken by Hawthorn in the 1989 draft.

101 - LEIGH FUNCKE (FITZROY)
Recruited from: Minyip (1988)
A trio of players have been drafted at No. 101 over the years. And although Funcke, Richard Harrison (Geelong - 1989) and Troy Hull (Sydney Swans - 1992) didn't make an AFL appearance, Funcke, a relation of former Richmond and Melbourne defender Ross (40 AFL matches) gets the tick, based on his promise at the time. He was the last of nine Fitzroy selections in the 1988 AFL Draft.

100 - DAVID PITTMAN (ESSENDON)
Recruited from: Norwood (1989)
Of the three players chosen at No.100, only Pittman went on to play any AFL matches, although his 131 appearances and two premierships (1997-98) were all with Adelaide from 1992-99. He never played for the Bombers. The other two players taken at this number were David Kupsch (Brisbane - 1988), who was also drafted by Collingwood at No.30 in the 1990 Pre-Season Draft, and Troy Davies (Fitzroy - 1992). 

99 - JEFF HILTON (MELBOURNE)
Recruited from: St Kilda (1992)
Originally from Dromana, Hilton played six matches for St Kilda from 1991-92, before he was Melbourne's seventh selection in the 1992 AFL Draft. He debuted for the Demons in 1994 and in three seasons played 43 matches, including 38 in 1994-95, predominantly as a half-forward. Irishman Dermot McNicholl was also taken at this number in 1988, playing three matches for St Kilda in 1990.

98 - ADRIAN McADAM (NORTH MELBOURNE)
Recruited from: South Alice Springs (1992)
McAdam produced one of the most electrifying AFL cameos in history. The younger brother of Greg and Gilbert burst onto the scene with seven goals on debut against Richmond in round five, 1993. He backed that up with bags of 10 and six majors to have 23 goals in his first three AFL appearances. A genuine star appeared to have emerged. However, he only played 36 matches and kicked 92 goals from 1993-95. Kym Russell (Collingwood - 1989) was the only other No.98 pick to play in the AFL. He featured in three matches.

97 - JOHN HOWAT (RICHMOND)
Recruited from: Melbourne (1992)
After playing 20 matches with Melbourne from 1989-92, Howat was drafted by Richmond with its eighth selection in the 1992 AFL Draft. He added 45 matches with the Tigers from 1993-96 and spent most of his senior career under coach John Northey. Howat is the only No.97 pick to make an AFL appearance. Irishman Tom Grehan (Melbourne - 1988) was also selected at No.97, but didn't play an AFL match.

96 - MICHAEL JAMES (CARLTON)
Recruited from: St Pats College Ballarat (1988)
A father-son recruit, James shone on debut for Carlton, gathering 26 disposals and receiving a Brownlow Medal vote against Richmond in round nine, 1991. It proved to be his only AFL season, which concluded with 33 touches against Richmond in round 24. He finished with 12 AFL matches (averaging 21 possessions per game). Gary Stevens (Sydney Swans - 1989), the brother of Anthony, was the only other No.96 pick to play at the highest level.  

95 - TONY FRANCIS (COLLINGWOOD)
Recruited from: Norwood (1988)
Three of the four players selected at No.95 appeared in AFL matches, but Francis was clearly the best ahead of the Sydney Swans' Scott Direen (52 matches) and Carlton's Jeremy Smith (one game) the next best. Francis was a first-class rover, playing in the club's drought-breaking 1990 premiership before winning the Copeland Trophy and All-Australian selection in 1991. He played 161 matches, including 19 with St Kilda in 1999.

94 - JADE RAWLINGS (HAWTHORN)
Recruited from: Devonport (1994)
The Tasmanian key defender/forward forged a fine AFL career, playing 116 of his 148 AFL matches with the Hawks before brief stints with the Western Bulldogs and Kangaroos. His final season at Hawthorn in 2003, when he ran third in the club's best-and-fairest, was arguably his best. Another four players have been drafted at No.94, but only Rawlings reached the top level.

93 - PAUL HILLS (ESSENDON)
Recruited from: North Ballarat (1988)
Hills had his best season in 1993, playing 20 matches, including the Grand Final. Overall, he played 63 matches from 1991-96. After being delisted at the end of the 1996 season, he was redrafted later in the year at No. 66. But he did not play another AFL match. Michael Murphy was the only other No.93 pick to play in the AFL, but he didn't add to his 29 AFL matches when redrafted by Brisbane in 1994. 

92 - BRETT HEADY (WEST COAST)
Recruited from: Subiaco (1989)
A huge draft steal, Heady was a top shelf half-forward flanker and an integral member of West Coast's golden era of the 1990s, playing in the 1992 and 1994 premiership teams. He played 156 matches for the Eagles. Heady sneaks home ahead of two fierce full-backs, in Jamie Shanahan (St Kilda - 1990), who featured in 125 matches for the Saints before adding a further 37 games with Melbourne, and Daniel Southern (Footscray - 1992), who played 103 AFL games.

91 - MATT MAGUIRE (BRISBANE LIONS)
Recruited from: St Kilda (2009)
Injury-plagued St Kilda defender Maguire was given another chance at AFL level by the Brisbane Lions in 2009. The big backman still had some injury issues at the Lions but has proven to be an astute pick-up, playing 29 games so far at his new club. Of the other players taken at pick No. 91, three of the four have been taken by St Kilda. Only Grant Lawrie, who made a one season comeback with St Kilda in 1990 after 151 matches with Fitzroy from 1978-88, played at the highest level.

90 - SCOTT BURNS (COLLINGWOOD)
Recruited from: Norwood (1992)
The Magpies struck gold with this late pick in 1992, with Burns clearly the standout No.90 selection. The stocky midfielder had an outstanding career for Collingwood, playing 264 matches from 1994-08. He captained the club in his final year and is now an assistant coach with West Coast. Shane Clayton (Kangaroos - 1998) is the next best at this pick, with 99 of his 117 AFL matches coming with North Melbourne, followed by Andrew Merrington (Carlton - 1999), who played 18 games. Former Cat Ryan Gamble (St Kilda - 2010) played one season with the Saints (11 games) before he was again shown the door. Five No.90 picks did not play an AFL match.

89 - JASON SMITH (RICHMOND)
Recruited from: Lockington (1989)
Bulldog Paul Dimattina (1991) clearly had the best AFL career of any player selected at No.89, but under our criteria he doesn't get the choccies, as he didn't play an AFL match for Richmond, the club that originally drafted him. Only two of the nine players selected at No.89 played an AFL match - Smith and Collingwood's Dwayne Griffin. They both played one match each, with Smith's six disposals in 1991 edging out Griffin's none (1997) for the gong.

88 - TROY BOND (CARLTON)
Recruited from: Port Adelaide Magpies (1992)
Eight players have been drafted at No.88, and Bond comes out on top after playing 36 of his 94 AFL matches with Carlton from 1994-95. He then played for Adelaide from 1996-99 and was a member of its inaugural premiership in 1997, booting four goals. Justin Staritski (Kangaroos - 1988) played 25 of his 26 AFL matches with the Roos from 1991-92. More recently, exciting Western Bulldogs forward Zeph Skinner was pick 88 in 2010, playing one match in 2011.

87 - DAMIEN HARDWICK (ESSENDON)
Recruited from: Springvale (1992)
The number 87 may be cricket's 'devil's number' but it turned out beautifully for Essendon in 1992. Hardwick, originally a North Melbourne under-19s player, is the standout at No.87. He played 153 matches, including the 2000 premiership, with the Bombers from 1994-01, before he was traded to Port Adelaide. The present Richmond coach then added another 54 games and was a member of the Power's inaugural flag in 2004. Simon Arnott (Sydney - 1994) was next best with 30 matches at the Swans, before adding a further 26 appearances with Geelong.

86 - DAVID RODAN (PORT ADELAIDE)
Recruited from: Richmond (2006)
Richmond reject David Rodan has etched out a fine, if unlucky, career at Alberton after being picked up by Port Adelaide in 2006. Despite two knee reconstructions, the lively midfielder has so far played 101 games for the Power after 65 with the Tigers. He edges out former Hawthorn defender Kris Barlow (1998), who produced 102 matches from 1999-04 after he spent 1997 on Hawthorn's supplementary list. Trent Hotton (Carlton - 1999) was also handy for the Blues, playing 61 of his 78 AFL matches there.

85 - SHANNON MOTLOP (NORTH MELBOURNE)
Recruited from: North Adelaide (1998)
Brad Scott (Hawthorn - 1996) had the best AFL career of any player picked at No.85, but most of his success came with the Brisbane Lions, where he became a dual premiership player in 2001-02. He played 22 matches with Hawthorn in 1997. Motlop, however, played 54 matches including the 1999 premiership with the Kangaroos. Former Demon Simon Buckley was taken by Collingwood with this pick in 2009 and has been in and out of the Magpies' senior side since.

84 - DOUG HAWKINS (FITZROY)
Recruited from: Footscray (1994)
Although Damien Gaspar (Melbourne - 1992) played 29 matches from 1995-98 - the most straight from pick No.84 - Hawkins got the nod, based on his solid final season with Fitzroy in 1995, where he played 21 matches. It ended a brilliant 350-game career, including 329 with the Western Bulldogs. Mick Martyn (Carlton - 2002) added 13 games to reach 300 and Josh Mahoney (Collingwood - 1996) played 19 matches in 1997-98.

83 - MATTHEW SHIR (ADELAIDE)
Recruited from: Murray Bushrangers (1999)
Ten players have been chosen at No.83, but a total of just 15 matches have been produced from four players. Aaron James (Western Bulldogs - 2001) had the most successful AFL career of any player chosen at No.83, but he added just one match from this draft spot and therefore didn't get the nod. Shir's 11 matches with Adelaide remains the best effort, with Irishman Brian Stynes' (Melbourne - 1988) two AFL matches next best.

82 - NATHAN THOMPSON (HAWTHORN)
Recruited from: Hawthorn reserves (1997)
Two high-flying forwards are in the mix to be the best No.82 pick in history, with Thompson edging out North Melbourne's Aaron Edwards, was selected at No.82 in 2006. Thompson played 119 of his 179 AFL matches with the Hawks from 1998-04, before crossing to North Melbourne. Edwards has played 73 often exciting games so far for the Roos.

81 - TROY MAKEPEACE (NORTH MELBOURNE)
Recruited from: North Melbourne reserves (1999)
After winning the 1999 Kangaroos reserves best-and-fairest award as a supplementary list player, Makepeace was drafted later that year. He then etched out a solid career with the Roos, playing 139 matches from 2000-06.

*The list covers the 25 AFL drafts (1986-2010) and not the pre-season or rookie drafts.

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs