A, B, C… E. Well, it must be Essendon’s turn to go under the magnifying glass that is the sweet and sour of the AFL drafts.
As you’ll know by now if you’ve read the scouting reports on the previous clubs, the draft selections below will be labelled either sweet or sour depending on how that player’s career turned out.
This could include playing 250 games, asking for a trade, captaining the side or being delisted after two games.
Like Collingwood before them, Essendon have made both stunning and awful drafting decisions since 2001.
Let’s have a look shall we.
Top five sweets
1. The two Ws in ’02
Watson and Winderlich. Essendon drafted both of these legends to their club in the 2002 AFL draft.
The Bombers drafted Jason ‘Licha’ Winderlich with the 11th pick in the 2002 national draft. Has he lived up to the hype of a pick 11? I’m not sure. But one thing is for sure, Winderlich has been the ultimate survivor at the Bombers.
In his 128 games, he’s battled severe injuries, the supplements scandal, peaks and dips and a backflip on his retirement decision last year.
He has never been a star of the game, but Bombers fans love him for his courage, his resilience and his class.
Jobe Watson has done nothing but add to the esteem that is the ‘Watson’ legacy at Essendon. He was drafted under the father/son rule in 2002, and has gone on to have an extraordinary career after troubling signs in the early days. He will play his 200th game in four games’ time, is the captain of the Essendon Football Club, has a Brownlow Medal to his name, is a two-time All-Australian and a three-time best and fairest winner.
Perhaps the sweetest thing about Jobe is his leadership. He has his critics, but during a catastrophic period for the club, Watson’s leadership has been admirable.
2. Brent Stanton
Essendon fans can tell me if I’m ranking Stanton too high, but he is worthy of the number two spot for Essendon’s sweetest drafting moments since ’01.
He was drafted by the Bombers in 2003, taken at pick 13 in the national draft. In his 234 games, Stanton has been consistent and an essential part of Essendon’s midfield. He is skilful, hard-running and often his performances slip under the radar compared to the likes of Dyson Heppell and Watson. He has also kicked 150 career goals.
He’s never won a best and fairest, but Stanton has averaged solid numbers over his career, including 22 disposals, six marks and three tackles a game.
3. Dyson Heppell
Originally touted as a top-five pick in the 2010 draft, Essendon pounced on the chance to draft Heppell after he slid down the order, and selected him at eighth.
Heppell had an extraordinary start to his career, winning the Rising Star Award in his first season in a year he was also favourite to win the club’s best and fairest.
He’s now just eight games shy of reaching 100 games. In those 92 games, he’s been named All-Australian and won his first best and fairest, both in 2014. He is one of the best, most classy young midfielders in the game and would have to be one of the next in line to captain the Bombers after Watson.
Here’s to another 100, Dyson.
4. Cale Hooker
Essendon remarkably drafted Cale Hooker with the 54th pick in the 2007 national draft. Fifty. Four.
Props to the recruiting team at Essendon for plucking out a great key position player.
Hooker has played in 119 games since being drafted and has developed into a key defensive post for the Bombers. He is a reliable defender and often gets the toughest defensive assignments each week.
There have been sour moments for Hooker. Well one in particular. You know, when he was chasing Buddy Franklin around on the MCG in front of a huge crowd.
But besides his #54 selection, Hooker has tasted the sweets when he was named All-Australian and was runner up in the club’s best and fairest last season.
Oh, and then there was that match-winning floating goal against the Hawks. That was sweet.
5. Hurley and Zaharakis in ’08
Essendon hit the jackpot in the 2008 draft, selecting Michael Hurley with pick eight and David Zaharakis with pick 23.
Hurley has played both forward and back with the Bombers, but you can tell he is more comfortable in the backline. Regardless, he has turned into a handy swingman for the Bombers and his flexibility is to be admired.
108 games, 103 goals and a crazy hairstyle later, Hurley is one of Essendon’s most significant players. He has set up a nice defensive partnership with Hooker, and at only 24 years of age, Hurley and Essendon have an exciting future ahead.
If pick 23 was the cake, and Zaharakis is the icing, well then the match-winning goal on Anzac Day is the cherry on top. Just as a quick side note, that happened to be his first career goal also.
His first 116 games have been exceptional. He’s a ball-winner, he’s a goal-kicker, he’s quick, he’s tough and he is electrifying to watch when he is on.
He’s an Anzac Day Medalist and a best and fairest winner, but it’s even sweeter knowing he didn’t part take in the controversial supplements program.
Worthy mentions
Andrew Welsh (#47, 2001 ND), Ricky Dyson (#44, 2003 ND), Nathan Lovett-Murray (#27, 2003 RD), Angus Monfries (#14, 2004 ND), Patrick Ryder (#7, 2005 ND), Courtenay Dempsey (#19, 2005 ND), Heath Hocking (#20, 2005 RD), Leroy Jetta (#18, 2006 ND), Alwyn Davey (#6, 2007 ND), Tom Bellchambers (#8, 2007 PD), Jake Melksham (#10, 2009 ND), Jake Carlisle (#24, 2009 ND), Travis Colyer (#26, 2009 ND), Ben Howlett (#30, 2009 RD), Michael Hibberd (#4, 2010 PD), Jackson Merrett (#31, 2011 ND), Mark Baguley (#47, 2011 RD), Joe Daniher (F/S, #10, 2012 ND), Patrick Ambrose (#26, 2013 RD) and Zach Merrett (#26, 2013 ND).
Top five sours
1. Scott Gumbleton
He was an exciting key position prospect at the time, and the Bombers invested highly in him, selecting him with the second pick in the 2006 national draft.
Unfortunately none of it went to plan. Injuries killed his career, and it’s one of the sadder draft stories in recent memory.
He managed only 35 games in seven years with the club, and Bombers fans have nothing but a ‘what could have been’ to remember him by.
2. Jayson Laycock
The ruckman was drafted to Essendon via their 10th pick in the 2002 AFL Draft. Injuries and restricted opportunities limited him to only 58 career games. But still, that’s pick 10 we’re talking about. That’s a prized possession and in hindsight, it was effectively wasted by the Bombers.
Hamish McIntosh was taken at pick nine in that draft and has had the same misfortune with injuries his career.
3. Kepler Bradley
For a former pick six of the 2003 AFL Draft, Kepler Bradley had quite the up-and-down career with Essendon. In 49 games he played pretty much every position on the ground and was quite an awkward AFL player who struggled to make his attributes work.
Despite moving on to Fremantle and playing over 50 games there, this was not the career it was meant to be for a pick six. Sam Fisher, David Mundy and Troy Chaplin were all selected after him in that same draft.
4. Shane Harvey
It hasn’t been a great ride for Shane Harvey. Not only is he the brother of North Melbourne legend Brent, but he was drafted with pick 18 in 2001 by the Bombers, and only played in 11 games with them.
Unfortunately for Essendon, Sam Mitchell, Steven Johnson and Dane Swan were all drafted later in the same class.
5. Tom Hislop
Tom Hislop showed a lot of promise when Essendon drafted him with pick 20 in 2006.
Unfortunately he never was able to fulfil his potential. Seven games with the Bombers and 20 with the Tigers, with some injuries along the way, Hislop is not in the AFL anymore.
Bombers fans, you might not want to go look at who was still available in that draft. It will hurt.
(Not) worthy mentions
Joel Reynolds (#31, 2001 ND), Simon O’Keefe (#34, 2001 ND), Darren Welsh (#27, 2002 ND), Tristan Carteledge (#28, 2002 ND), Andrew Lovett (#42, 2003 RD), Jay Nash (#28, 2003 ND), Andrew Lee (#30, 2003 ND), Jay Neagle (F/S, #39, 2005 ND), Kyle Reimers (#47, 2006 ND), Bachar Houli (#42, 2006 ND), Tayte Pears (#23, 2007 ND), Darcy Daniher (F/S, #39, 2007 ND), Stewart Crameri (#43, 2009 RD) and Anthony Long (#33, 2009 ND).
Final word
It’s important to note that Essendon were stripped of draft picks in both 2013 and 2014 after bringing the game into disrepute.
Essendon has bombed on some top 10 picks and that would be have to be disappointing for their fans. However, their drafting has very impressive since around 2007. Their 2009 was a highlight, drafting Jake Melksham, Jake Carlisle, Travis Colyer and Ben Howlett. Four starters in their 2015 line-up, all picked up in one draft pool.
In 2010, they drafted Michael Hibberd and Heppell. And the long-term future looks good.
Not a standout drafting performance, but not a bad one at all since 2001.
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.
Luke Hodge was adamant the right decision was made to call play back - but Cats fans disagreed!
They really DO call him 'Horny'!
At least they could see the funny side!
Could this be MRO trouble for Tom Atkins?
Port Adelaide's first quarter on Friday night at GMHBA Stadium was the best any team has played in 2024 to date. The next three…
