It is the only time every club appears happy and content. If you believe the post-draft comments, everyone got the players they wanted.
While a club's future is indelibly linked to these draft-day selections, I could never generate too much excitement, because first-year players were generally not able to significantly improve the team the following season. They were more medium, long term prospects.
The legendary Essendon full-forward John Coleman kicked an incredible 12 goals in his first game way back in 1949.
As first-game players go, whether way back then or in the modern era, what Coleman did in his debut will never be repeated. He was the exception not the rule.
In the draft system of the last couple of decades even the best 18-year-olds had to settle in and mature before they became good senior players.
Then along came Joel Selwood in 2007, Cyril Rioli in 2008 and Daniel Rich in 2009.
Selwood and Rioli clearly made good teams even better in their first seasons and Rich is doing the same for the Brisbane Lions.
After only eight games Rich has quickly become the Lions midfielder who looks the most dangerous with ball in hand.
His decision making and disposal under pressure is exceptional.
I am yet to see the first-year Lion make a mistake; the clean takes and effective handball in tight show great composure.
Better still is the power and accuracy of his kicking, which is outstanding in comparison to anyone in the league.
I guess you can be a man at 20 or a boy at 30, and Rich looks to be extremely mature both physically and mentally.
It would be easy to think that the debuts of these three as 18-year-olds were remarkable even if they were all pick No.1 in the draft.
Far from it – Selwood was pick seven, Rioli was pick 12 and Rich got to pick seven in the NAB AFL Draft last year.
While clubs have varying priorities in size and shape, the reality is that for all the millions spent on recruiting around the AFL,getting it right is still very hit or miss.
A bit of good luck is just as valuable as good management.
Over the years the draft has been littered with high-pick failures and low-pick stars.
Examples are numerous.
Hard to believe that St Kilda’s All-Australian defender Sam Fisher was a lowly pick 55 in 2003. In the same year Kepler Bradley was taken at pick six by Essendon and is struggling to be a regular senior player after being traded to Fremantle.
Then in 2004 the Richmond decision to take Richard Tambling pick four enabled Hawthorn to take Buddy Franklin at pick five.
Unfortunately, because it is not his fault, every time I watch Tambling play I can’t help but think of Franklin. It is not difficult to visualise how football history would have changed if Franklin had been drafted to the Tigers.
Undoubtedly decisions made on draft day have an enormous impact on future success. Always have, always will.
So are Selwood, Rioli and Rich the exceptions or the rule?
Maybe it is the result of the great work of the AFL’s elite talent training programs.
Maybe it is because physical intimidation has been largely officiated out of the game.
That time in 1997 when a very young Eagle Michael Gardner was manhandled by a few Bulldogs in a pre-game flurry now seems to be very much part of a bygone era.
Maybe it has been because football evolution has encouraged speed over bulk.
Whatever the combination of factors now in play, Selwood, Rioli and now Rich have proven my draft day theory wrong.
They have shown that the occasional first-year 18-year-old can become a significant contributor straight away.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs
