Currently holding picks 42 and 47 in the NAB AFL Draft, North Melbourne’s draft hand outside its two top 20 selections looks strong, if a bit unspectacular.

While there are definite bargains to be had later in the draft, the whole order could change on draft night, with the recently implemented father/son and academy bidding system set to wreak havoc on the night.

With Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs both committing to father/son prospects Nick Daicos and Sam Darcy respectively, and the likes of Taj Woewodin (Melbourne) and Jase Burgoyne (Port Adelaide) also declaring as father/son prospects, there will be plenty of moving and shaking on draft night.

It’s almost a certainty that North’s pick 47 will turn into at least pick 43, and there’s further potential for an even higher climb up the draft.

In the spirit of those later picks, North Media looks at some of the greatest draft selections in the late 30s and early 40s. 

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Pick 38 - Brendan Fevola (1998)

Key-position players are often some of the earliest players to be selected in the draft, with an elite tall forward offering a strong foundation with which to build a potent forward line.

At 191 centimetres tall, Brendan Fevola may have lacked the height of a traditional centre-half forward, but he made up for his comparatively small size with brute strength and unwavering set shot accuracy.

Most often remembered for his time at Carlton, Fevola can lay claim to being the best key-forward in the AFL over half a decade, earning three All-Australian selections (2006, 2008, 2009), and two Coleman Medals (2006, 2009) in his time in navy blue.

After 187 games and 575 goals for the Blues, he moved north to Brisbane, finishing his career with 48 goals in 17 games for the Lions.

Honourable mentions:
Cameron Ling (1999), Sam Reid (2009)

Pick 39 - Travis Cloke (2004)

Before the current bidding system was in place, clubs could select father/son prospects at any point in the draft, regardless of how in demand they were. 

The youngest son of David Cloke, who played 114 games for Collingwood and 219 games for Richmond, Travis was selected by the Magpies as a versatile key-position option who was also capable of playing in the ruck.

While his ‘yips’ in front of goal over his career are well-documented, at his best Cloke was a dominant and powerful key-forward, capable of kicking goals from well outside 50.

A 2007 club best-and-fairest winner, two time All-Australian and 2010 premiership player, Cloke finished his career with 10 games at the Western Bulldogs in 2017.

Honourable mentions;
Adam McPhee (2000), Rhys Mathieson (2015)

Pick 40 - Gary Ablett Jr (2001)

In terms of later picks, there might not be as much talent selected anywhere else in the draft there has been at pick 40, but once again, the former father/son selection rule rears its head.

Arguably the greatest player of all time, Gary Ablett Jr, or ‘The Little Master’ as he became known, played 355 career games for Geelong and Gold Coast, becoming the Suns’ inaugural captain and star signing in 2011.

With two premierships, two Brownlow Medals, eight All-Australian selections, six club best-and-fairest awards and five Leigh Matthews trophies, Ablett is one of the most decorated players to have ever played the game.

His final career game was the 2020 grand final loss to Richmond, with a shoulder injury sadly ending his long and storied career.

Honourable mentions:
Jobe Watson (F/S, 2002), Michael O’Loughlin (1994), Josh Kennedy (F/S, 2006)

Pick 41 - Tom Hawkins (2006)

The third and final father/son selection in this list, the rise of Tom Hawkins throughout his AFL career has been nothing short of staggering.

One of the top prospects of his draft class, Hawkins took some time to develop and was a borderline surprise selection ahead of Cameron Mooney in the 2011 grand final victory over Collingwood.

That game proved to be a turning point in Hawkins’ career, as he kicked three goals and almost won the Norm Smith Medal. He’s become a near unstoppable force in the AFL ever since.

2012 saw him in his first and, to date, only club best-and-fairest award, and the first of four All-Australian selections, while he’s led Geelong’s goal kicking charts every year for the past decade, and won the Coleman Medal in 2020.

Honourable mentions:
Jake Kolodjasnij (2013), Zac Dawson (2003)

Pick 42: Bachar Houli (2006)

After struggling to break into Essendon’s team in the first three seasons of his career, playing 26 games across that period, a move to Richmond breathed new life into Bachar Houli’s football.

Going onto become a legend of the club, Houli played a starring role in all three of the Tigers’ premierships in the late 2010’s, and could count himself unlucky to not have at least one Norm Smith Medal to his name.

An All-Australian in 2019, his effectiveness at rebounding from the defensive 50 helped to redefine the position, and after 206 games with the Tigers, he retired at the end of the 2021 season.

Honourable mentions:
Jack Steven (2007)

Pick 43: Adam Goodes (1997)

It didn’t take Sydney long to realise they were onto a winner with Adam Goodes. While he may have spent his first season of senior football in the reserves, he won the NAB Rising Star Award in 1999.

A versatile attacking player, Goodes made his name as a half forward/wing, and even found himself in the ruck in Paul Roos’ early days as coach of the Swans.

His move to the wing would prove to be an inspired one, with Goodes collecting two Brownlow Medals, two premiership medals and four All-Australian selections in the wide areas of the ground.

A giant of the game both on and off the field, Goodes retired at the end of the 2015 season, after 372 games and 464 goals for Sydney.

Honourable mentions:
Andrew Swallow (2005), Easton Wood (2007), Lindsay Gilbee (1999)