While much of the focus in the lead-up to the NAB AFL Draft is around the first round selections, history suggests that many of the league’s greatest players have fallen down the order.
With North Melbourne holding several picks late in Friday night’s NAB AFL Draft, it’s time to reflect on some of the Roos’ past recruiting bargains.
1988 – Pick 18 – Anthony Stevens – 292 NMFC games
In the early days, the Draft was very much a lottery, with several of the top selections failing to make the grade.
Stevens was a relatively early pick, at selection 18, but when you consider only three men in the top 20 played over 100 games (Stevens, Leon Cameron and Chris Naish), he was a bargain.
Drafted from Shepparton, Stevens played 292 games, was a two-time premiership player, two-time best and fairest and an All-Australian.
In 2013, The Herald Sun listed the midfielder at pick three in their revised Draft feature, only behind Chris Grant (originally pick 105) and Michael Long (originally pick 23).
1992 – Pick 98 – Adrian McAdam – 36 NMFC games
It’s not often a player with 36 career games brings back memories for North fan, but McAdam certainly does that.
The Northern Territory recruit burst onto the scene in his first game, kicking a remarkable seven goals on debut in Round 5 of 1993.
By the end of his first year, he’d kicked 68 majors.
A bag of five early in ’94 continued his amazing run, but the goals dried up thereafter. After 22 goals that year, he played just one further AFL game.
He later admitted he didn’t work hard enough as opposition clubs started to work him out.
"That's happened to a few unknowns who have burst on the scene and then not lasted, although none of them would have been more talented than Adrian,” teammate Wayne Carey said.
1993 – Pick 46 – David King – 241 NMFC games
In a year North also landed a future 306-gamer, Adam Simpson, David King waited until pick 46 before his name was read out.
King wasn’t necessarily a star at VFL level, but clearly the North recruiters took notice of the pacy Port Melbourne player.
Skillful and aggressive, the 21-year-old played 19 senior games in his first season under Denis Pagan, and ultimately never looked back.
Throughout 11 seasons, he never played less than 19 games, amassing 241 appearances in the royal blue and white.
He was twice an All-Australian and played in the Roos’ 1996 and 1999 premiership sides.
The Herald Sun had King at number three in their revised Draft feature.
1995 – Pick 47 – Brent Harvey – 432 NMFC games
Among the Roos’ all-time greats, Harvey was one of the stars of the under 18 competition, winning All-Australian selection and named Victoria’s best player. He was also best-on-ground in the Northern Knights’ premiership win.
Nevertheless, at just 167 centimetres, recruiters had doubts he’d make it.
“Obviously size was a huge concern, but he had a few things going for him,” then recruiting manager Neville Stibbard recalled years later.
“He had outstanding elite skills, elite in the athletic side and his understanding and game sense was elite.”
After he’d been overlooked 46 picks into the Draft, even North had reservations on Harvey.
“He was tiny and at that stage somebody said to me he’s smaller than (jockey) Darren Gauci,” Denis Pagan recalled.
Of course, the Roos did take the punt, and the rest is history.
432 games and 21 seasons later, Brent Harvey would go down as an AFL champion.
1996 – Pick 42 – Martin Pike – 81 NMFC games
Pike was left without a club after Fitzroy’s demise, but was handed a lifeline with the 42nd selection in the 1996 National Draft.
Working off half-back and across the wings, Pike earned a State of Origin nod in 1998, then played in the Roos’ fourth premiership in 1999.
His spell at North was somewhat short-lived, only four seasons, but he was a key player in a successful period for the club, winning his first AFL premiership.
He later played in all-conquering Brisbane premiership sides in the early 2000’s.
1996 – Pick 67 – Byron Pickett - 120 NMFC games
North was lucky to land Pickett with the 67th selection, after he’d played junior football in Port Lincoln and was targeted by the Power.
He quickly earned a reputation as one of the AFL’s toughest players and was also known for his ability to stand up in big games.
Pickett was one of just nine players in the ’96 Draft crop to play 200 games, 120 of those at North, before stints at Port Adelaide, where he won a Norm Smith Medal, and Melbourne.
1998 – Pick 85 – Shannon Motlop - 54 NMFC games
The fourth-last selection in the ’98 Draft, Motlop debuted in Round 10 of the following year.
While he only played 54 games for North, Motlop had a key role in the Roos’ 1999 premiership, booting two goals.
He finished his career at Melbourne.
1999 – Pick 81 – Troy Makepeace - 139 NMFC games
North had its first pick in the ’99 Draft at pick 53, but Makepeace had to wait until pick 81 to hear his name called out.
By Round 4, 2000, Makepeace was in the Roos’ side and wasn’t displaced for the remainder of the season.
A running half-back, he played 139 games, representing Australia in the International Rules Series in 2007.
2000 – Pick 60 – Corey Jones – 157 games
In one of the more successful drafts for the club, Jones was taken with the Roos’ final pick.
While pick 6, Dylan Smith, played just six AFL games, the likes of Daniel Motlop (47 games), Daniel Harris (149 games), Drew Petrie (316 games), Saverio Rocca (101 games) and Daniel Pratt were among North’s selections in 2000.
Jones fell at pick 60, but barely six months later was in the North side.
In and out of the side over his first couple of seasons, he had a breakout year in 2003, playing 19 games and booting 27 goals.
Arguably his best year came in 2007, when the left-footer booted 46 goals.
Jones was one of just 17 players in the 2000 Draft to play over 150 games.
2005 – Pick 43 – Andrew Swallow – 224 games
Listed at pick 7 in The Herald Sun’s revisited Draft feature, Swallow debuted in his first season, and by 2007 was a regular in the number 19.
He relinquished his spot the following season, before opportunity knocked in Round 1 of 2009. Selected in the side as an injury replacement, Swallow never looked back.
He played every game for the season, and despite being in VFL contention at the start of the year, won the Syd Barker Medal.
After another Club Champion award in 2011, the courageous onballer was named captain, a title he carried with aplomb until the end of the 2016 season, with retirement following in 2017.
2006 – Pick 37 – Todd Goldstein – 190 NMFC games*
Three ruckmen were taken before Goldstein in ’06, but the former basketballer developed into the standout of the bunch.
Like any ruckman, he took time; Goldstein didn’t debut until late in his second season, but by 2010 he’d become a regular, despite competition from fellow big man Hamish McIntosh.
Known for his outstanding fitness, the number 22 has played 21 games or more in each of the last seven seasons.
In 2015, he had his best season to date, named as an All-Australian and won his first Syd Barker Medal.
In Fox Sports’ Revisited feature, Goldstein was listed as the third best pick of the Draft, 34 picks earlier than his actual selection.
2006 – Pick 53 – Lindsay Thomas – 205 NMFC games
Sixteen selections after Goldstein, North landed a small-forward from Port Adelaide in the SANFL, Lindsay Thomas.
He burst onto the scene, with four goals in a pre-season game against Collingwood.
Over 11 seasons with North, Thomas became one of the Roos’ most consistent goal-kickers, with his best year coming in 2011 when he booted 53 goals.
The number 12 was listed at pick 12 in Fox Sports’ Retrospective feature.
2006 – Pick 82 – Aaron Edwards – 78 NMFC games
After a short stint at West Coast, Edwards was back in the VFL, lining up for the Frankston Dolphins.
He booted over 100 goals, casting himself into the eye of AFL recruiters once again.
Nevertheless, he fell to pick 82 and landed at Arden Street.
Perhaps Edwards’ best season came in 2011, when he booted 36 goals in 19 games, earning a reputation for his deadly accuracy in front of goal.
In 78 games, he booted 122 goals as a bargain pick 82, before moving to Richmond to finish his career.
2007 – Pick 37 – Scott Thompson – 200 NMFC games*
One of the standouts of the ’07 Draft, Thompson had a rapid progression, from playing in the Geelong Football League, to the VFL, to the AFL in the space of two seasons.
Relentless in his pursuit to stop the opposition’s best forwards, he earnt a reputation as one of the league’s best defenders.
Thompson’s niggling approach was the topic of much debate, but he has continued to perform at the highest level over the past nine seasons, winning a Syd Barker Medal and All-Australian honours in 2013.
A Fox Sports’ Revisited feature had Thompson listed at number 12 of the ’07 Draft crop.
2009 – Pick 37 – Jamie Macmillan – 117 games*
Two years after striking gold at pick 37 with Scott Thompson, North managed to do it again with versatile defender Jamie Macmillan.
When fit, Macmillan is an integral member of the North Melbourne line-up, playing 23 games in the 2016 season in the club’s run to the finals.
In a young side, Macmillan is an important member of the leadership group, and in a Fox Sports draft revisited feature, Macmillan featured at pick 15, well above his original draft position.
2013 – Pick 47 – Ben Brown – 77 NMFC games*
Ben Brown has put his name forward as one of North Melbourne’s best draft bargains, with the key-forward improving season after season in his four years with the club.
With already over 150 goals to his name, the North cult figure, known for his signature locks had a career-best and true breakout year in 2017 with 63 goals, which resulted on his selection in the 40-man All-Australian squad.
In a Herald Sun draft revisited feature, Brown is listed 37 spots ahead of his original position, and ranked as the 10th best player from the 2013 pool. If he keeps his 2017 form up, that number is only going to get lower.
