Getting taken at number 1 in the AFL draft comes with its pros and cons. It serves as an honour to be recognised as the best player in your draft class, but that also comes with extra pressure to perform at a high level on a consistent basis.
These players listed below were able to channel that duress and either become wildly successful players in the AFL or lay an obvious platform or things to come.
With only a month to go until the draft, the buzz surrounding the consensus first cab off the rank in Jason Horne-Francis is almost at its crescendo.
RELATED: "I can make an impact straight away': Horne-Francis speaks on looming Roos selection
Should the hype prove to be real, you can expect the South Australian's name to be up in lights on lists like this within the very near future.
Here's the top 10 number 1 draft picks since 2000:
6. Matt Rowell
Rowell was taken by the Gold Coast Suns in the 2019 draft and became a revelation straight off the bat by polling nine Brownlow votes in his first four-games.
Unfortunately, the redheaded midfielder suffered a shoulder injury in Round-five which saw him miss the rest of his debut season.
Having recovered from surgery, Rowell suffered a knee injury in the early stages of this season, however, he still managed to lace the boots on a further 11 occasions.
If injuries weren't in play, then Rowell could've easily been third or fourth on this list but the Victorian has slid given his small sample size at senior level.
The 20-year old is definitely a generational talent, averaging 15.1 disposals per game so far, and a clean bill of health will definitely see Rowell move up this list.
