IT CAN be a recruiter's dream. Or their worst nightmare.
Get the selection right and it could set your club up on the path to the ultimate glory. Get it wrong and things can go pear-shaped very quickly.
While top picks are always coveted, sometimes the best players can be plucked later in the draft. And sometimes there's a high draft pick who just doesn't live up to expectations.
We look at each club's hits and misses over the past decade from the national draft.
Biggest hit: Jake Soligo, pick 36, 2021
Biggest miss: Fischer McAsey, pick 6, 2019
The 2019 National Draft was an exceptional pool, but Adelaide missed when it selected key defender Fischer McAsey, who retired after 10 games in three seasons. The Crows could not predict at the time that McAsey would lose his passion to play and perform at the top level, but they have since watched as Fremantle stars Hayden Young (No.7) and Caleb Serong (No.8) make flying starts to their careers alongside Melbourne forward Kysaiah Pickett (No.12), Hawthorn midfielder Will Day (No.13), Port Adelaide defender Miles Bergman (No.14) and Western Bulldogs goalkicker Cody Weightman (No.15). All would have been excellent picks as the Crows' No.6. The club's best recent work has been done at the trade table in securing captain Jordan Dawson and star Izak Rankine, but the club would also be thrilled with Jake Soligo's trajectory as a versatile midfielder. Jake Lever (pick No.14 in 2014) was an excellent selection, but the club was unable to hold onto the Melbourne premiership defender. – Nathan Schmook
Biggest hit: Harris Andrews, pick 61, 2014
Biggest miss: Josh Schache, pick 2, 2015
At the time of the 2015 draft, Josh Schache was a consensus selection at No.2 behind Jacob Weitering, but it didn't pan out well. In desperate need of big men following the retirement of Jonathan Brown 12 months earlier, Schache looked an ideal replacement, coming in alongside Academy graduate Eric Hipwood. However, just two seasons later, he would move on to the Western Bulldogs. To make matters worse for the Lions, Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow would both go inside the first round of Schache's draft leaving the club with a ginormous ‘what if'. Although Harris Andrews came from the club's Academy and was more a steal than a hit, having no club bid before North Melbourne late in the second round was an incredible win for the club. – Michael Whiting
Biggest hit: Tom De Koning, pick 30, 2017
Biggest miss: Paddy Dow, pick 3, 2017
You win some, you lose some, which was precisely the case for the Blues in 2017. Carlton's decision to take Paddy Dow with pick No.3 was a bust, but their acquisition of Tom De Koning at pick 30 was masterful. De Koning's rise has been a slow burn, playing just nine games in his first three seasons, but he has emerged to become one of the competition's best ruckmen in recent times with his ability to dominate around the ground as well as in the air. On the other hand, the Blues overlooked some genuine quality to draft Dow at pick 3, passing on the likes of Roos star Luke Davies-Uniacke, Lions premiership player Zac Bailey, Crows gun Darcy Fogarty and All-Australian defender Sam Taylor. While there were some promising signs early in his career, Dow managed just 73 games across six seasons at the Blues - and only 14 in his final two years - before crossing to St Kilda at the end of 2023. - Alison O'Connor
Biggest hit: Brayden Maynard, pick 30, 2014
Biggest miss: Will Kelly, pick 29, 2018
Hard to go past Nick Daicos, who was a father-son selection, but when you consider how much he has delivered and where he was selected, Brayden Maynard has been a massive winner. The first player from the 2014 draft class to play 200 games – up to 209, three behind Harris Andrews – a premiership player and All-Australian. Josh Daicos has also proven to be tremendous value, given he was taken at pick No.57 in 2016, but he was a father-son pick. The 2020 draft class produced Beau McCreery at pick No.44, but only two of the five players selected between 17 and 31 remain. Caleb Poulter and Liam McMahon were both delisted, while Ollie Henry moved to Geelong. Will Kelly managed only five games across five seasons at the Magpies and battled injury issues along the way. – Josh Gabelich
Biggest hit: Mason Redman, pick 30, 2015
Biggest miss: Aaron Francis, pick 6, 2015
It's slim pickings for Essendon draft hits in the past decade, but Mason Redman was taken at pick No.30 in 2015 and has developed into an important player for the Bombers. The rebounding defender's best season was in 2023, when he was named in the extended All-Australian squad. That same draft delivered the Bombers' biggest miss with Aaron Francis taken at pick No.6. Picked ahead of the likes of Harry McKay, Charlie Curnow, Eric Hipwood and Daniel Rioli, Francis played 54 games for the Bombers before being traded to Sydney at the end of 2022. – Dejan Kalinic
Biggest hit: Luke Ryan, pick 66, 2016
Biggest miss: Griffin Logue, pick 8, 2016
The Dockers drafted exceptionally with their later picks in 2016, securing All-Australian defender Luke Ryan with their last selection after also snaring ruckman Sean Darcy (pick No.38) and key defender Brennan Cox (No.41). But while their first selection Griffin Logue played some good football in 64 games as a Docker and suffered at selection because of the club's key defensive depth, he ultimately left for a modest return and the Dockers have gone on to pay up in a trade for Shai Bolton, who was available until pick No.29 in that same 2016 pool. Logue is a rare miss at the pointy end of the draft for the Dockers, who have nailed most of their top 10 picks in the last 10 years. They would have preferred to hold on to Adam Cerra (pick No.5 in 2017), but his exit made the arrival of Jye Amiss (pick No.8 in 2021) possible. Their investment in Academy player Liam Henry (pick No.9 in 2019) was not rewarded. Sam Switkowski (pick No.73 in 2017) is a notable bargain. - Nathan Schmook
Biggest hit: Max Holmes, pick 20, 2020
Biggest miss: Cooper Stephens, pick 16, 2019
The Cats have made an art form of nailing their late and rookie selections, giving them the flexibility to trade elsewhere and always remain in contention. So, when it comes to pointy end misses, it is a smaller than usual pool to choose from. Cooper Stephens played seven games before being traded to Hawthorn where he was ultimately delisted this year. The most notable player available to the Cats (and the rest of the competition) was Sydney superstar Chad Warner, who lasted to pick No.39. Max Holmes is a budding star after earning selection in an All-Australian squad (2024) and one of two players to achieve that from the 2020 pool. In a Draft impacted by the pandemic, he is an excellent find for the Cats. Gryan Miers (pick No.57 in 2017) is another national draft 'hit' on a list boasting several rookie gems. – Nathan Schmook
Biggest hit: Touk Miller, pick 29, 2014
Biggest miss: Jack Scrimshaw, pick 7, 2016
Whether it was the selection of someone not ready for a move interstate or the lack of development, getting just four games out of Jack Scrimshaw in two seasons before moving him on to Hawthorn was a bust. Both Rodney Eade and Stuart Dew coached Scrimshaw and decided he was not ready for regular senior opportunities. Making matters worse for the Suns was the fact this pick came from Richmond after they traded the Tigers midfielder Dion Prestia, who would win the first of his three premierships the next season. Touk Miller was the club's third pick in 2014, and with two All-Australian jackets, two best and fairests and the club captaincy, has proven to be an incredibly astute selection. – Michael Whiting
Biggest hit: Sam Taylor, pick 28, 2017
Biggest miss: Jarrod Pickett, pick 4, 2014
After six wins in its third season in the League, the Giants had a healthy hand going to the 2014 draft and used it on Jarrod Pickett, Caleb Marchbank (No.6) and Paul Ahern (No.7). The trio would all be traded out just two years later with a collective total of seven senior games – all to Marchbank. Rubbing salt in for the Giants was the fact Jordan De Goey went to Collingwood with pick No.5. Peter Wright (No.8), Lachie Weller (No.13) and Jake Lever (No.14) were also options that would have fitted nicely into an emerging GWS outfit. They absolutely nailed it with Sam Taylor three years later though, with the Swan Districts recruit arguably one of the game's best defenders over the past three years. – Michael Whiting
Biggest hit: Blake Hardwick, pick 44, 2015
Biggest miss: Denver Grainger-Barras, pick 6, 2020
Despite missing out on the top end of the draft for so many years, the Hawks have managed to find some gold with later picks. One of those is Blake Hardwick, who has been a bonafide star at both ends of the ground. He has finished in the top five of the club's best and fairest five times, including two runner-up finishes. He inked a five-year contract extension earlier this year to remain at the club till 2029. Dylan Moore also has claims following his All-Australian year after being taken at pick No.67 in 2017, while James Worpel is another success story from that same draft at pick No.45. Harry Morrison (No.74) and Mitch Lewis (No.76) were also shrewd selections in the 2016 draft. Sadly, the No.6 pick curse struck again at the Hawks with 2020 draftee Denver Grainger-Barras delisted last month after 28 games over four seasons. – Brandon Cohen
Biggest hit: Christian Petracca, pick 2, 2014
Biggest miss: Sam Weideman, pick 9, 2015
Melbourne had some big misses with early selections over the years - Jimmy Toumpas (pick No.4, 2012) and Jordan Gysberts (pick 11, 2009) to name a few - but the Demons finally got one bang on when they took Christian Petracca with pick No.2 in the 2014 national draft. After the Saints selected Paddy McCartin at pick No.1, the Demons hit the jackpot, with Petracca now a bonafide star of the competition. In fact, the Dees nailed their first two selections in that draft, taking Angus Brayshaw with the next pick - the duo going on to play an instrumental role in bringing the club long-awaited success. Bayley Fritsch (pick No.31, 2017) and the recently-departed Alex Neal-Bullen (pick No.40, 2014) were other strokes of genius from Melbourne's recruiting team. While the Dees' recruiting has been relatively shrewd over the last decade, Sam Weideman's selection at pick No.9 in 2015 was a big miss. The key forward managed just 59 games across seven seasons at the club, and has now found himself on the scrap heap after being delisted by Essendon after two seasons. Weideman was taken ahead of All-Australian forwards Harry McKay (pick 10) and Charlie Curnow (pick 12) in a decision that no doubt haunts the Demons now. - Alison O'Connor
Biggest hit: Nick Larkey, pick 73, 2016
Biggest miss: Sam Durdin, pick 16, 2014
While the recruitment of Will Phillips with pick No.3 in 2020 is often talked about, the young midfielder suffered from COVID-19 and two bouts of glandular fever to begin his AFL career, and began to slowly find his way at AFL level this year. In 2014, the Roos selected Sam Durdin with pick No.16, with the defender going on to play just 22 games for the club before being delisted. He was picked up by Carlton in mid-2022 but delisted at the end of the 2024 season. North's biggest draft hit is an easy one, with the pick No.73 in the 2016 draft – Nick Larkey – having won the club's goalkicking four times while being named All-Australian in 2023. – Dejan Kalinic
Biggest hit: Zak Butters, pick 12, 2018
Biggest miss: Xavier Duursma, pick 18, 2018
Already with Connor Rozee and Zak Butters in the back pocket from earlier in the draft, it might be harsh to single Xavier Duursma out here. However, over the past decade Port has rarely chosen in the top 10 and occasionally traded early picks out to bring in high end talent. Which leaves us with Duursma. A combination of injury and inconsistent form restricted the wingman to just 73 games in five seasons before the winger moved to Essendon. Bobby Hill, Justin McInerney or even Lachie Schulz might have looked good in Ken Hinkley's system from later in that draft, although those picks ahead of Duursma would have been drawing a long bow at the time. Butters has proved to be unbelievable value at No.12, having barely hit his prime and already pocketing two best and fairests and two All-Australian nods as one of the most dynamic midfielders in the League. – Michael Whiting
Biggest hit: Nathan Broad, pick 67, 2015
Biggest miss: Corey Ellis, pick 12, 2014
The Tigers were one of the League's dominant forces for the majority of this time period, limiting their access to the very top echelon of talent, but they still had their share of hits to top off their premiership list build. WA product Broad was the best of these, joining Richmond with a late pick in 2015. Five years later, he was a triple premiership player. Shai Bolton (pick 29, 2016) and Jack Graham (pick 53, 2016) arrived the following year and have also outperformed their draft rankings. Richmond has traded several of its top picks for established talent but one of their few top-15 picks, Corey Ellis, failed to fire, as did fellow ball-winner Riley Collier-Dawkins (pick 20 in 2018) - Michael Rogers
Biggest hit: Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, pick 11, 2021
Biggest miss: Paddy McCartin, pick 1, 2014
While no one could have predicted the way Paddy McCartin's career panned out, the Saints still selected the key forward with their prized first pick in 2014, overlooking Christian Petracca, Angus Brayshaw and Jordan De Goey in the process. While the Saints were perhaps blinded by their desire to formulate a Nick Riewoldt succession plan, McCartin struggled as a key forward well before his concussion issue took hold while Petracca was already showing signs of being a generational talent. The Saints' record at the 2017 draft wasn't great either, selecting Hunter Clark and Nick Coffield with picks seven and eight, with Aaron Naughton going to the Western Bulldogs with the next pick. Neither Coffield (now at the Bulldogs) nor Clark have set the world on fire, while Naughton has become one of the comp's best key forwards. Picking up Matt Allison, who was delisted this year after four seasons on the list with zero senior games played, with their first pick in the 2020 draft (No.26) wasn't a great shout either. To put it bluntly, St Kilda has had no shortage of draft misses. The Saints have been better in recent years however, with Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera proving to be a shrewd pick-up as the dashing half-back only gets better each year. – Sophie Welsh
Biggest hit: Chad Warner, pick 39, 2019
Biggest miss: Dylan Stephens, pick 5, 2019
The 2019 national draft was a mixed bag for the Swans, who had four picks inside the top 40. Dylan Stephens, who is now at North Melbourne after 43 games in four seasons in Sydney, was taken ahead of star midfielders Hayden Young, Caleb Serong, Tom Green and Will Day, while Kozzy Pickett and Cody Weightman were also top-20 picks that year. Will Gould (pick 26) and Elijah Taylor (pick 36) are also no longer in Sydney. But the Swans struck gold with pick 39, opting for a young West Australian named Chad Warner, who five years later is one of the best players in the competition.
Biggest hit: Jake Waterman, father-son pick 77, 2016
Biggest miss: Jarrad Brander, pick 13, 2017
While the Eagles were assisted by his availability as a father-son pick, Jake Waterman is one of the club's great bargains, arriving in a two-year period of hot and cold drafting. The 26-year-old was given more responsibility as a key forward in 2024 and emerged as a contested marking star, kicking 53 goals and earning All-Australian selection for the first time. He arrived in the same draft as Jarrad Brander, who played 22 games as a forward and wingman before being delisted and earning an extra year with Greater Western Sydney. The Eagles' first selection in 2016, Daniel Venables (pick No.13), could have been a star but was forced to retire after a severe concussion in 2019 and subsequent complications. Three successes from the 2016-17 window are co-captain Oscar Allen (pick 21, 2017) and premiership forwards Liam Ryan (pick 26, 2017) and Willie Rioli (pick 52, 2016). – Nathan Schmook
Biggest hit: Caleb Daniel, pick 46, 2014
Biggest miss: Kieran Collins, pick 26, 2015
The 2014 draft class has had a massive impact. Bailey Dale was selected at pick No.45 and has since become an All-Australian half-back in 2021, as well as earning selection in the squad this year. Caleb Daniel was selected with the next pick and became a premiership player, Sutton medallist and All-Australian before he departed for North Melbourne last month. The Dogs nailed the selection of Josh Dunkley at pick No.25 in 2015, before using the next pick on key defender Kieran Collins. He managed only one appearance at AFL level before being delisted a few years later. – Josh Gabelich
