The 2019 AFL Draft has turned out to be one of the strongest drafts of the last decade, headlined by elite midfield talent, with five players earning All-Australian selections and four players being key pieces in premiership sides.
It's clear now that several teams got their selection wrong, but they didn't have the hindsight that we have today, six years later.
So here is a re-draft of the top 15 of the 2019 AFL Draft, factoring in their career to date, team success, personal awards, and also their future potential.
For context, this was the original order of the top 15 picks in the 2019 AFL Draft
- Matt Rowell (Gold Coast)
- Noah Anderson (Gold Coast)
- Luke Jackson (Melbourne)
- Lachlan Ash (GWS)
- Dylan Stephens (Sydney)
- Fischer McAsey (Adelaide)
- Hayden Young (Fremantle)
- Caleb Serong (Fremantle)
- Liam Henry (Fremantle)
- Tom Green (GWS)
- Sam Flanders (Gold Coast)
- Kysaiah Pickett (Melbourne)
- Will Day (Hawthorn)
- Miles Bergman (Port Adelaide)
- Cody Weightman (Western Bulldogs)
11Melbourne select: Sam Flanders (-)
Sam Flanders had a breakout season in 2024, showing his versatility and elite kicking playing across all three lines, racking up the footy in all three positions and having the most impact as an inside midfielder.
The Demons would need the versatility, but Flanders would see limited midfield time at the Dees, so he may have never shown the flashes of his midfield abilities.
He did have a down year last season, as he was pushed out of the midfield and wasn't needed at half-back, which saw a dip in his form.
This is hilarious. Matt Rowell won a Brownlow and you have dropped him down below Serong.