If you thought the top ten picks of the 2002 AFL draft were poor, wait until you see the top ten of 2003.
Although it produced a Brownlow medalist, six of the ten players are not playing in the AFL this season. Another underwhelming factor of this top ten is that two players failed to play at least ten games for their clubs.
There are a few quality players in the later rounds and therefore I will redraft the top ten picks of 2002. I am not taking into consideration the father-son rule, because it ruins the fun.
I will start by listing the draft class in its real order, and then redraft them based on which players I think have had the best ten careers from this draft.
2003 draft
Pick 1: Adam Cooney (Western Bulldogs)
Pick 2: Andrew Walker (Carlton)
Pick 3: Colin Sylvia (Melbourne)
Pick 4: Farren Ray (Western Bulldogs)
Pick 5: Brock McLean (Melbourne)
Pick 6: Kepler Bradley (Essendon)
Pick 7: Kane Tenace (Geelong)
Pick 8: Raphael Clarke (St Kilda)
Pick 9: David Trotter (North Melbourne)
Pick 10: Ryley Dunn (Fremantle)
Redrafted
Pick 1 (Western Bulldogs) – Adam Cooney
The dogs got this pick right. In what turned out to be quite an underwhelming draft class as a whole, Cooney has had the most decorated career to date. He’s a classy midfielder who has kicked 186 goals in 219 games for the Bulldogs.
Before injuries deflated him, Cooney used his pace and skills to run through the middle of the ground. He won the Brownlow Medal in 2008, beating out Simon Black by one vote. He is now donning the sash, continuing his career at the Bombers.
Pick 2 (Carlton) – David Mundy
Fremantle selected Mundy with the 19th pick in the 2003 draft. Since his debut in 2005, Mundy has progressively improved each season. For the past five years, he has been the heart and soul of the Dockers midfield.
Mundy is an elite ball-winner, clearance machine, and a great leader for the Fremantle Dockers. He has passed the 200 game milestone and it’s quite astonishing that Mundy slipped through to the second round.
Pick 3 (Melbourne) – Heath Shaw
In any other redraft, Heath Shaw would not be my number three pick. However, in a draft full of quality AFL players (but not superstars), a premiership player gets an advantage over others. Shaw was selected under the father-son rule, at pick 48 by Collingwood. He played 173 games for Collingwood before crossing to GWS in 2013.
Shaw will play his 200th game this season. During Collingwood’s premiership run, Shaw was one the best rebound defenders in the competition. He has pace, he’s courageous and has good balls skills. He has had his issues off-field, but Heath Shaw has generally been a good leader for both teams he’s played for.
Pick 4 (Western Bulldogs) – Sam Fisher
Remarkably, Sam Fisher was the 55th pick in the 2003 draft, selected by St Kilda. Fisher is a 198-game player who is a two-time best and fairest winner for the Saints. The veteran defender has provided St Kilda with run and carry in the backline for many seasons.
Fisher is a reliable, courageous player who has had a rough run the past few seasons because of injury. I don’t see him winning a premiership in his career, but he did play in three grand finals, coming agonisingly close in 2010 (the first one).
Pick 5 (Melbourne) – Brent Stanton
Stanton was the 13th overall pick in this draft, selected by Essendon, where he has gone on to play 226 games and kicked 147 goals. Stanton has had a fairly consistent career as a hard running midfielder.
Since 2006, Stanton has averaged more than 20 disposals per season. Unfortunately, he has had his moments as Essendon’s whipping boy over the years, but his consistency for the red and black cannot be denied.
Pick 6 (Essendon) – Andrew Walker
Walker was the second overall pick in 2003, selected by Carlton. Personally, I don’t think he has lived up to the hype of a number two pick. He had an extraordinary debut for the Blues, gathering 26 possessions, but has failed to play consistent football over his career.
However, he’s played a respectable 179 games, kicking 118 goals as a versatile utility for the Blues. Walker is a quick player for his size and is a good user of the football. He should have won the Mark of The Year Award in 2011 after taking one the best marks we’ve ever seen.
Pick 7 (Geelong) – Beau Waters
Waters was the 11th pick, selected by West Coast in 2003. He was an incredibly courageous defender who played 120 games in 10 seasons for the Eagles. Ultimately, injuries plagued his career, forcing him to retire in 2014. He was a premiership player in 2006 (the youngest member of the team) and was West Coast’s vice captain in 2011-12.
Pick 8 (St Kilda) – Troy Chaplin
Chaplin was the 15th pick, selected by Port Adelaide. Chaplin played 140 games for the Power before moving to Richmond in free agency period of 2012. He’s played 187 games in total and will play his 200th later this year.
Chaplin is a key defender who has performed consistently throughout his career. He is a good, solid leader of his back six and has been in the top three of the best and fairest three times.
Pick 9 (North Melbourne) – Jed Adcock
Jed Adcock was the 33rd pick, selected by Brisbane. Adcock has played his entire career as a running half back defender who can play quality minutes through the midfield. He has incredible kicking skills and is a courageous player.
In 2013, he was the co-captain of the Lions, before becoming the sole captain in 2014. In what has been a very consistent career to date, he has played 185 games, all with the Lions.
Pick 10 (Fremantle) – Ben Hudson
Hudson was drafted at pick 58 by Adelaide. In 2014, he retired after playing for four clubs and 168 games. His most successful stint was at the Western Bulldogs, where we played 88 games and was a vital part of the Bulldogs’ finals run from 2008-2010.
Hudson was a valuable ruckman who attacked the ball like not many other big men in the competition. He finished his career averaging 17.3 hitouts, 13 disposals and 2.2 tackles a game. A great leader on every team he played for.
My next three redrafted picks
Pick 11: Michael Rischitelli (originally pick 61)
Pick 12: Farren Ray (originally pick 4)
Pick 13: Daniel Jackson (originally pick 53)
In hindsight, this was a pretty disappointing draft. It lacks superstar power as well as premiership players. Many of the players in my redrafted class are late first round picks, and third and fourth round picks.
The recruiters really got this one wrong. A very weak draft class. But did I get this right? Who would you redraft as the top ten picks in the 2003 draft?
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