The 2017 Draft class was a solid one. Seven of the first 10 players selected have accumulated more than 100 games, while some later speculative picks have emerged as genuine draft steals.
Eight years on, we re-draft the first 10 picks, taking into account each player's career, any remaining upside and each club's list priorities at the time. In hindsight, some clubs would have made vastly different calls.
For context, here were the original first 10 selections in the 2017 AFL Draft:
1. Cameron Rayner (Brisbane)
2. Andrew Brayshaw (Fremantle)
3. Paddy Dow (Carlton)
4. Luke Davies-Uniacke (North Melbourne)
5. Adam Cerra (Fremantle)
6. Jaidyn Stephenson (Collingwood)
7. Hunter Clark (St Kilda)
8. Nick Coffield (St Kilda)
9. Aaron Naughton (Western Bulldogs)
10. Lochie O'Brien (Carlton)
Pick 2: Andrew Brayshaw (-) - Fremantle
Originally selected at Pick 2 in 2017 after the Lions pounced on Cam Rayner, Brayshaw has elevated himself into one of the AFL's premier midfielders. The Dockers would be thrilled with what he has been able to produce in his career to date.
Brayshaw is a ball magnet, averaging 25 disposals per game across 170 games. He wins his own football and is dynamic at stoppage. He was first elected in the Dockers' leadership group in 2021 and is the current vice-captain alongside fellow star midfielder Caleb Serong.
Eight years on, Brayshaw comfortably justifies his top-two selection, evolving into an elite midfielder and long-term leader around whom the club has been able to build its list.
