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The sweet and sour of the AFL drafts: Brisbane Lions

23rd May, 2015
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Roar Guru
23rd May, 2015
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Booms and busts. Hits and misses. Highs and lows. Treasure and trash. We’ve heard every combination of the absolute steals and the absolute disasters that have come before us in the phenomenon that is the AFL Draft.

We’ll look at the oh so sweet, and the oh so sour draft selections that each club has made since the ‘super draft’ of 2001.

The draft selections below will be labeled either sweet or sour depending on how that player’s career turned out. This could include asking for a trade, playing 250 games, captaining the side or being delisted after two games.

This article will focus on the Brisbane Lions.

The top five sweets:

1 – Tom Rockliff
Since Brisbane’s dominant three-peat back in the early 2000s, times have been tough for the Lions. But one of their greatest moments since the retirements of their all-star core was the recruitment of Tom Rockliff.

Rocky was drafted in the 2008 Preseason Draft with Brisbane’s fifth pick. Preseason Draft people, the preseason draft.

So for all you kids that go overlooked and unnoticed in the national draft, put a poster up of Tom Rockliff in your room. From a preseason draft selection, Rockliff has gone on to become an elite midfielder in the AFL, a twp-time club champion, an All-Australian in 2014, he’s hit the 100-game milestone and is the new captain of Brisbane in 2015.

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He’s also the heart and soul of the Lions and is one of the most courageous players in the AFL.

2 – Pearce Hanley
Not since Tadhg Kennelly has our game been blessed with such a talented Irish import as Pearce Hanley. Brisbane drafted the gaelic football prospect with the #38th pick in the 2008 rookie draft and in 2009, they elevated him to their senior list. Hanley has adapted to AFL incredibly well and in 2014, he proved his value to the Brisbane line-up.

The 96-gamer has missed the start of 2015 with a hip injury and his run and carry across halfback has been sorely missed. He plays with speed, flair and is an exciting player to watch. Mike Sheahan paid tribute to Hanley’s career best season by ranking him at #25 on his Top 50 players list for 2014.

3 – Joel Patfull
Despite being traded to GWS at the end of last season, Joel Patfull had a very ‘sweet’ career with the Brisbane Lions. The Lions drafted him with the 56th pick in 2005 National Draft as a mature-age recruit after being rookie listed by Port Adelaide a few years before.

Patfull had a sensationally consistent and perhaps underrated career with the Lions. He was a reliable defensive player who did what he needed to do each week. He played 182 games, was a two-time club champion and was a much-respected player up at the Gabba. He has gone on to continue his career with the Giants, but Patfull’s contributions to the Lions will always be treasured.

4 – Daniel Rich
Daniel Rich was a highly touted prospect leading up to the 2008 National Draft. This draft is the draft which saw Jack Watts go number 1. Brisbane used their first selection (#7) to snare Daniel Rich, and seven years later would be very pleased with their choice.

Rich showed his value in his debut season, winning the Rising Star award. 108 games into his career, Rich has developed into a versatile, damaging and very skillful midfielder who can play across halfback as well.

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His season-ending knee injury last year had every Brisbane fan heartbroken, as his value to their line-up is incomparable. He was a high draft pick who has rewarded his club with an exceptional first 100 career-games.

5 – Jed Adcock
There’s nothing sweeter than drafting a player who goes on to become the captain of your club, with what was a seemingly mediocre draft pick at the time. Well guess what, Brisbane struck gold twice. Jed Adcock was drafted with the 33rd selection in the 2003 National Draft.

He’s never been high profile, he’s never been flashy, but Jed Adcock has been a soldier for the Brisbane Lions Football Club. His 192 game-career has not been privy to much success, but his leadership, courage and skill have been invaluable to a struggling Brisbane outfit for so many years.

The attacking defender was named co-captain with Jonathon Brown in 2013 before being rewarded as the sole captain in 2014. It has been a great career for Jed.

Worthy mentions
Daniel Merrett (#30, 2002 National Draft (ND)), Jared Brennan (#3, 2002 ND), Michael Rischitelli (#61, 2003 ND), Josh Drummond (#47, 2003 RD), Matthew Leuenberger (#4, 2006 ND), Jack Redden (#25, 2008 ND), Josh Green (#32, 2010 ND), Lewis Taylor (#28, 2013 ND), Clay Beams (#76, 2010 RD) and James Aish (#7, 2013 ND)

The top five sours
1 – Lachie Henderson
Will trading Lachie Henderson for Brendon Fevola go down as the biggest mistake in Brisbane Lions’ history? Lets break this down. Brisbane traded Henderson (originally their pick 8 in 2007 National Draft) and pick 12 to Carlton for Fevola and pick 27.

Fev proved to be a disaster for the Lions and after 17 games was sacked. The Lions drafted Callum Bartlett with pick 27 who never ended up playing an AFL game.

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Warning: the next paragraph may annoy Brisbane fans.

Henderson has developed into a versatile swingman for the Blues, playing 106 games and kicking 96 goals. He is sure to get a lot of money thrown at him in the offseason. As for the pick 12 that Brisbane gave to Carlton in this trade, well, it was wasted on Kane Lucas. But, the likes of Daniel Talia and Lewis Jetta were still available in that draft. Oh, and Nat Fyfe. Have you heard of him?

Ouch.

2 – Mitch Clark
Mitch Clark’s trade from Brisbane to Melbourne in 2011 wasn’t sour by any means. But Mitch Clark was a top 10 draft pick in 2005. Mitch Clark was a valuable, versatile, athletic big man the Lions loved having in their team. So whichever way you look at it, it would have had to hurt the Lions losing a player of his calibre.

Clark played 82 games up north and was the Lions’ leading goal kicker in 2011. He has had an injury ridden career and suffers from clinical depression.

Melbourne traded their pick 12 to snag Clarke in 2011. Interested in knowing what Brisbane did with that pick 12? Read on.

3 – Llane Spaanderman
Llane Spaanderman has an incredible name. He didn’t have an incredible AFL career unfortunately. Brisbane drafted him with their 18th pick in the 2003 National Draft. He played three games for the Lions before being delisted in 2005. David Mundy was pick 19 in 2003. Enough said.

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4 – Jared Polec
Brisbane’s highest draft pick in years will not be one to remembered. Pick 5, 2010, Jared Polec. He played 16 games for the Lions before requesting a trade in 2013 back to his home state in South Australia. Find me one Brisbane fan that is happy with Polec’s flourishing career at Port. Find me one. He’s young, he’s quick and he’s skillful. Oh, and he has a better chance to win a premiership quicker than his former teammates.

5 – The rest of the homesick five
Polec deserved his own sour selection as he has so far proven to be the best of the infamous homesick five. But the other four homesick trade requests are no easier to accept.

Elliot Yeo – a compensation pick, #30, 2011 National Draft is now at West Coast.
Sam Docherty – #12 (Brendon Fevola trade), 2011 National Draft is now at Carlton.
Billy Longer – #8, 2011 National Draft is now at St Kilda.
Patrick Karnezis – #25, 2010 National Draft is now at Collingwood.

Along with Polec, Brisbane lost five first round draft picks at the end of 2013, after they all requested a trade to their home states.

Yeo and Docherty are having very good seasons at their respective clubs, while Longer and Karnezis are still searching for consistent opportunities.

Very, very sour.

(Not) Worthy Mentions
Jason Gram (#19, 2001 ND), Cameron Wood (#18, 2004 ND), Albert Proud (#22, 2006 ND), Wayde Mills (#25, 2005 ND), Joel Tippett (#57, 2006 RD) and Tom Collier (#25, 2007 ND)

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Final words
It’s been a tough past decade for the Lions. On-field, off-field, drafting, list management haven’t quite worked out the way they’ve wanted.

But the future looks bright. Recruiting wise, they picked up experienced players in Robinson, Beams and Christensen.

Draft wise, the past few years have been solid. Besides the cruel homesick losses, the Lions have drafted: Green, Clarke, Taylor, Aish, Mayes, Paperone, Close, Robertson, Cutler, Gardiner, McStay and Freeman.

At least eight of those are consistently on the team sheet every week, and injury has kept two or three off of it.

That’s the future right there. The question mark still looms over Aish, but Brisbane fans, some of you’re young kids look electrifying. You’re time will come…I think.

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