Appreciate you simplifying it for me.
Biggest third-round steals from the AFL draft since 2000Ben Higgins, Herald Sun
4 minutes agoWORRIED your club doesn’t have a pick until the third round of Friday’s national draft? There’s no reason to panic.
Essendon (pick 48), Port Adelaide (pick 47) and Hawthorn (pick 43) don’t enter the draft until late after parting with their early selections in trades.
But there have been plenty of gems taken with those selections — scroll down to see our pick of the third-rounders this century — and follow the countdown all week.
2000
BEST PICK: Martin Pike (No.33, Brisbane)HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Josh Hunt (No.44, Geelong), Adam McPhee (No.39, Fremantle)
Pike might have already played 141 games and won a premiership before being picked up here by the Lions, but he would go on to play a vital role in Brisbane’s three straight flags. Can you believe he was pick No.9 in 1992? Josh Hunt added two flags of his own in another astute pick by the Cats.
2001
BEST PICK: Gary Ablett Jnr (No.40, Geelong)HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Sam Mitchell (No.36), Leigh Montagna (No.37, St Kilda)
The 2001 super draft wasn’t super just because of its star-studded first-round. The third round was filled with future stars led by dual Brownlow Medallist, two-time premiership Cat and inaugural Gold Coast captain Gary Ablett. It’s unlikely he’d go that late under today’s father-son rules, but he may not have been a top-10 pick, either. On his heels is Brownlow medallist and four-time premiership Hawk Sam Mitchell. Montagna is relegated to third in a round that also included premiership Eagle Ashley Hansen, Jarrad Waite and, unbelievably, Paul Salmon.
Where would Gary Ablett have gone in 2001 if the father-son rule didn’t exist?
2002
BEST PICK: Jobe Watson (No.40, Essendon)HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Sean Dempster (No.34, Sydney), Brett Ebert (No.42, Port Adelaide)
Essendon benefited from the father-son rules at the time to pluck Jobe Watson at 40 — see the Ablett reference above regarding father-son rules. Jobe has lost his Brownlow Medal and a year of his career but retired with three best-and-fairests and two All-Australian guernseys. Sean Dempster was a low-profile champion, a premiership Swan in his debut season who added another 158 games and three Grand Finals at St Kilda.
2003
BEST PICK: Heath Shaw (No.48, Collingwood)HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Amon Buchanan (No.45, Sydney), Zac Dawson (No.41, Hawthorn)
Collingwood had two father-son picks that year and took Brayden Shaw with pick 32 and his cousin Heath in the next round. “Heater” developed into one of the AFL’s best attacking defenders and was a part of Collingwood’s 2010 premiership before heading north to GWS, where he’s become a two-time All-Australian. Another year, another Sydney premiership star found in the third round — Buchanan played a key role in the Swans’ 2005 flag. Dawson was often ridiculed but after an ill-fated beginning at Hawthorn he became a dependable defender at St Kilda and Fremantle.
2004
BEST PICK: Travis Cloke (No.39, Collingwood)HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Mark LeCras (No.37, West Coast), Ivan Maric (No.40, Adelaide)
Another father-son Magpie who became a premiership star. Cloke was without doubt the game’s most dominant power forward in his prime, winning a Copeland Trophy and two All-Australian caps. Taken two picks earlier, LeCras has also built himself an excellent career, winning an Eagles best-and-fairest and All-Australian jumper.
2005
BEST PICK: Andrew Swallow (No.43, North Melbourne)HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Alipate Carlile (No.44, Port Adelaide), Sam Lonergan (No.50, Essendon)
A future club captain and three-time best-and-fairest is a steal at No.43 and so it was for the Kangaroos with Swallow, who retired this month after 224 games. Carlile might not have the same profile but in 10 years and 167 games for the Power he was as reliable as any defender in the AFL.
2006
BEST PICK: Josh Kennedy (No.40, Hawthorn)HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Tom Hawkins (No.41, Geelong), Todd Goldstein (No.37, North Melbourne)
Kennedy played only 13 games at the Hawks but it was at Sydney that he rose to stardom. Since he and Ben McGlynn were traded for picks 39, 46 and 70, Kennedy has won a premiership, three Bob Skilton Medals, three All-Australian caps and is now Swans captain. With the very next pick the Cats snapped up Hawkins — a two-time premiership player and best-and-fairest winner — under the father-son rule. Todd Goldstein is one of the AFL’s premier big men and a Kangaroos best-and-fairest winner, rounding out one of the strongest third rounds in history.
2007
BEST PICK: Easton Wood (No.43, W.Bulldogs)HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Jack Steven (No.42, St Kilda), Scott Thompson (No.37, North Melbourne)
Wood takes the spoils here. The now full-time Bulldogs captain, Wood won a Charles Sutton Medal in 2015 before being elevated to premiership captain in Bob Murphy’s absence in 2016. Just edged out, Steven is a three-time Trevor Barker Award winner in 154 games. Another on this list who might not get the plaudits he deserves, Thompson is a North Melbourne best-and-fairest winner and All-Australian.
BEST PICK: Rory Sloane (No.44, Adelaide)
HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Steven Motlop (No.39, Geelong), Mitch Robinson (No.40, Carlton)
Where would Sloane be picked if 2008 was redrafted? Not at No.44. A two-time best-and-fairest winner and modern superstar. Motlop might be hot and cold but there can’t be any doubting his impact when “on” and now has a fresh start at Port Adelaide, while Robinson moved to Brisbane for a fresh start of his own and claimed a Merrett-Murray Medal in 2015.
2009
BEST PICK: Max Gawn (No.34, Melbourne)HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Ben Stratton (No.46, Hawthorn), Sam Reid (No.38, Sydney)
Stratton might have three premierships but we’re giving the nod to Gawn here. The Demons big man has improved at warp speed in the past few years and is now the No.1 big man in the AFL. Reid is a premiership Swan but injuries have limited his career. He edges out Dylan Roberton (pick 49) for the final spot on the podium.
2010
BEST PICK: Tom McDonald (No.53, Melbourne)HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Alex Fasolo (No.45, Collingwood), Alex Johnson (No.57, Sydney)
Demon McDonald was one of the AFL’s best intercepting key defenders before being moved forward in the past two years. He edges out Fasolo, who reached 100 games this year and was Collingwood’s leading goalkicker the year before. In third, Johnson is on the list for inspiration alone after five knee reconstructions. The 2012 premiership Swan fought back from countless injury setbacks to finally return to the field at NEAFL level before being delisted at the end of the season.
2011
BEST PICK: Lachie Neale (No.58, Fremantle)HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Tory Dickson (No.57, W.Bulldogs), Alex Woodward (No.53, Hawthorn)
Neale has developed into one of the AFL’s best midfielders, forming a dynamic duo with Dockers star Nat Fyfe and winning a club best-and-fairest in 2016. Dickson was a mature-age recruit and was a key plank in the Bulldogs’ fairytale premiership. Finally, Woodward — like Johnson — is here for inspiration. While the midfielder only played two AFL games, he fought back from three knee reconstructions to win the VFL league B & F, only to rupture his ACL again in 2015 and 2017 while playing with Collingwood’s VFL team.
2012
BEST PICK: Lachie Hunter (No.49, W.Bulldogs)HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Tim Membrey (No.46, Sydney), Martin Gleeson (No.53, Essendon)
Father-son pick Hunter was a key part of the Dogs’ fairytale premiership, playing all 26 games and collecting more than 700 disposals. He’s racked up 84 games so far. Membrey started slowly at the Swans and moved to St Kilda for more opportunity and it’s paid dividends. His 91 goals in 49 games as seen him claim back-to-back club goalkicking awards.
2013
BEST PICK: Ben Brown (No.47, North Melbourne)HONOURABLE MENTIONS: James Sicily (No.56, Hawthorn), Orazio Fantasia (No.55, Essendon)
Three of the games’s most exciting young talents. We’ve given the nod to Brown, the Kangaroos’ next big thing, after he kicked 63 goals this season to finish third in the Coleman Medal. Sicily started as a forward but proved himself a promising key defender this year while Fantasia kicked 39 goals as an exciting small forward with the Bombers.
2014
BEST PICK: Caleb Daniel (No.46, W.Bulldogs)HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Mitch McGovern (No.43, Adelaide), Oscar McDonald (No.53, Melbourne)
The Bulldogs third top pick on this list had all the numbers to justify a higher draft ranking but one — his 168cm frame — meant he was still around when the Dogs’ third-round pick came around. Two years later he was a member of the 2016 premiership team and AFL Rising Star award runner-up. McGovern was one of the most in-demand youngsters this off-season with a return to Perth mooted, but he re-signed with the Crows and is a part of the AFL’s most potent forward line. McDonald joins his brother on this list, just edging out Bulldog Bailey Dale.
2015
BEST PICK: Jack Silvagni (No.53, Carlton)HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Blake Hardwick (No.44, Hawthorn), Rhys Mathieson (No.39, Brisbane)
Silvagni is one of the batch of exciting young stars at Ikon Park with 20 games under his belt in his first two seasons. In second, Hardwick enjoyed a breakout season in 2017, playing 19 games as the Hawks “rebuilt”. Mathieson was a slider on draft night but has shown promising signs at the Lions.
2016
BEST PICK: Jack Graham (No.53, Richmond)HONOURABLE MENTIONS: Mitch Hannan (No. 46, Melbourne), Lewis Young (No.49, W.Bulldogs)
When you’ve only played one season, it’s hard to beat a premiership player. He might have played only five games but Graham is the No.1 pick from the third round of 2017 after shutting down Rory Sloane — another third-rounder — on Grand Final day in a nice bit of draft symmetry. Hannan and Lewis could have something to say about that next year. Hannan played 20 games in his debut season with the Demons while Young burst on to the scene as an intercepting key defender with the Dogs, finishing the year with seven games.
Is unfathomable to think that hawthorn doesn’t enter the draft until pick 43. That’s two years in a row with very late picks and only Titch to show for it.
They already have the oldest list and now no access to young talent.
What year was Cale Hooker? 2008? Surely above Motlop and Robinson.
2007, he would be right up there competing with Thompson
Cale Hooker was a fourth rounder in the 2007 draft.
So an even bigger steal.
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I believe HS doing articles for 4th rounder and 5th rounder in next few days
So Hooker sure to get a mention. And Hirdy.
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Woops, I thought it was draft steals at any pick. That makes sense.
If you think Hooker’s role was anything like CHF then you need a fair bit of simplification.
You realise that Tim Watson said he was a CHF don’t you?
You were just being a ■■■■ and pointing out something that had no relevance to what was being discussed!
Traditional forward roles aren’t what they were even ten years ago but if it makes you feel better I agree that in a traditional sense he could be considered a Ff even though he actually collected more than half his possessions between the two arcs.
It’s wrong regardless of who said it.
Joe played the higher central marking tall player if you’re as enlightened as yourself, or CHF if you’re dumb like me.
Hooker played the deeper central marking player, or FF.
Stewart/Francis/Langford seemed to be focussed on leading across, and providing an option towards the flanks.
Does it really have anything to do with what the article is about is probably more relevant.
Not sue why such a trivial thing matters so much to you.
He made a mistake. Who cares.
It’s a few hundred words by some faceless journo wrapped around 5 basically meaningless sentences said on a ■■■■■■ off-broadway AM talkback station.
Trivial? Ya reckon??
“I think he’ll go back at some stage,”
“Last season they went against the modern set-up a bit by playing three talls in Joe Daniher, Hooker and James Stewart.
“You can build a fowardline around someone like Joe Daniher.”
This is the first year that there is a clean slate for Worsfold,” Watson said.
“There aren’t the compromised parts of the team or the organisation that he’s had in previous years.”
The question is: what in there suggests anything that backs up your point?
Then why has it got you so upset?
Lay off the angry pills.
Who’s upset? I’m calling out what I see as very stretchy claims by you.
I must be losing my touch if you think this is upset! 
Why do you hate Tim Watson?
Soooo how about this pick 48
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Delist
100% has to be a tall!
I seriously don’t know this year how we can get a read on what to do. I think it’d be pointless to lock ourselves into a particular position. Just keep our options open and hope that this year’s Luke Parker or Ben Brown is still there.
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Imagine the day we went to the draft and said we were hunting a midfielder and we got what we were looking for. $10 we end up with another HB Player.
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