Leading into the 2017 season, we at Zero Hanger have decided to dive back into the history books and look at some of the drafts since the turn of the century.
Over the course of the next two weeks, weโll be re-drafting the top 10 from these drafts, so feel free to let us know what you think of our selections, and even comment your own!
Yesterday we looked at the 2004 draft, and today we travel back to the 2005 AFL National Draft in which Victorian sides reigned supreme.
2005 AFL National Draft top 10 as selected:
- Marc Murphy - Carlton
- Dale Thomas - Collingwood
- Xavier Ellis - Hawthorn
- Josh J. Kennedy - Carlton
- Scott Pendlebury - Collingwood
- Beau Dowler - Hawthorn
- Patrick Ryder - Essendon
- Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls - Richmond
- Mitch Clark - Brisbane Lions
- Marcus Drum - Fremantle
2005 AFL National Draft top 10 as re-drafted by Zero Hanger:
- Scott Pendlebury
A clear number one on this list. Scott Pendlebury has had an illustrious 236-game career for the Pies, which includes a premiership and Norm Smith Medal in 2010, five All-Australian appearances and five Collingwood B&F awards.
2. Grant Birchall
The most successful player from the 2005 draft, Grant Birchall is a four-time premiership player who continues to be such a consistent player in a very consistent Hawthorn side.
3. Josh J. Kennedy
He only played 22 games for Carlton before moving to West Coast as part of the Chris Judd trade, and the two-time Coleman Medallist and Eagles vice-captain has been one of their best since that day.
4. Nathan Jones
Melbourne's captain since 2014, Nathan Jones has turned himself into an elite midfielder in the competition and his 28.0 disposals a game last season saw him put in his most consistent year yet.
5. Marc Murphy
Taken with the first pick in the 2005 draft, Marc Murphy will enter the 2017 season as Carlton's captain for the fifth year in a row, and the silky midfielder continues to be one of the Blues' best.
6. Andrew Swallow
Taken with the lowest pick in the draft (43) to finish in our top 10, Andrew Swallow captained the Roos between 2012-2016 and has won three North Melbourne B&F's during his impressive career.
7. Bernie Vince
The former Adelaide midfielder made the move to Melbourne in 2014, and Bernie Vince has established himself as a key component of the Dees midfield, winning a B&F award in 2015.
8. Shannon Hurn
The 200-game West Coast defender has captained theย club since 2015 and Shannon Hurn been an important weapon in turning defence into attack for the Eagles over the entirety of his career.
9. Shaun Higgins
Injuries have crippled Shaun Higgins' career, but there's no doubting the 28-year-old's talent. He's played 162 AFL games since being drafted, with 32 coming for North Melbourne after making the switch from the Bulldogs at the end of the 2014 season.
10. Patrick Ryder
The 2009 ANZAC Day Medallist played 170 games for Essendon before moving to Port Adelaide in 2015. Paddy Ryder's career at the Power came to a halt in 2016 after being banned for a season by WADA.
Notable absentees: Travis Varcoe (pick 15), Alipate Carlile (44), Matthew Stokes (61), Alan Toovey (rookie draft pick 2), Matthew Priddis (rookie draft pick 31), Kieren Jack (rookie draft pick 58)
*Disclaimer: Despite players being selected in the rookie and pre-season drafts, we have chosen to select only players in this list who were drafted in the National Draft for the purpose of this series.
