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 9: Tim Kelly (+15) - Western Bulldogs
Mature-age recruit Kelly was originally taken by the Cats at Pick 24 as a 23-year-old. He took to AFL football with ease, tallying an astonishing 147 coaches votes in his first two seasons before being traded to the Eagles.
Kelly is a powerful midfielder who can hurt the opposition on the inside and outside. He covers the ground well and can hit the scoreboard.
The Bulldogs had finished 10th in 2017, but their premiership victory in 2016 would've had them thinking they were still in the window. A mature-aged recruit that could walk straight into their best 22 would've been a wise decision.
