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)
3Melbourne select: Matt Rowell (-2)
Matt Rowell came into the league and started dominating straight away, polling three Brownlow votes in four of his first three games before missing time with a shoulder injury.
After his injury, it took Rowell a couple of seasons to get to his best, and he showed his full potential and his most consistent season in 2025, winning the Bronlow Medal with a total of 39 votes, and making his first All-Australian team.
It might not make much sense for the Demons to take another inside midfielder, but maybe Rowell would have had more impact on the Demons long term.
This is hilarious. Matt Rowell won a Brownlow and you have dropped him down below Serong.