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 7: Luke Davies-Uniacke (-3) - St Kilda
Originally taken at Pick 4 by North Melbourne, hard-nosed midfielder Davies-Uniacke has enjoyed a solid career so far, amassing 130 games. Davies-Uniacke is explosive, wins contested footy and is a dynamic clearance player. He has threatened to take the competition by storm at times, but hasn't quite been able to elevate himself into the competition's top tier of midfielders.
The Saints were in the AFL wilderness following their 2010 Grand Final defeat and hadn't played finals since 2011. They had some solid midfielders at the time, such as Jack Steven, Jack Steele and Leigh Montagna, but they lacked some speed and explosiveness through there.
A powerful, game-breaking midfielder like Davies-Uniacke would've been a nice addition to the Saints' list at the time.
