Earlier this week, I wrote that the 2005 AFL draft was one the deepest in AFL history. Well, the 2006 draft class may give it a run for its money.
I’ve got a pool of players on my paper in front me who can be potential redrafted top ten picks. It’s remarkable to see how many quality players, who are on AFL lists today, that were in this draft.
Keep your eyes peeled for the few gems that Port Adelaide picked up in the late rounds as well as Collingwood and Geelong.
2006 draft
Pick 1: Bryce Gibbs (Carlton)
Pick 2: Scott Gumbleton (Essendon)
Pick 3: Lachlan Hansen (North Melbourne)
Pick 4: Matthew Leuenberger (Brisbane)
Pick 5: Travis Boak (Port Adelaide)
Pick 6: Mitchell Thorp (Hawthorn)
Pick 7: Joel Selwood (Geelong)
Pick 8: Ben Reid (Collingwood)
Pick 9: David Armitage (St Kilda)
Pick 10: Nathan Brown (Collingwood)
Redrafted
Pick 1 (Carlton) – Joel Selwood
Joel Selwood. Wow. How did he go at Pick 7? I think he is a step ahead of everyone else in this draft. He’s courageous, intense, attacks the balls like no one else in the competition and is a sensational leader. He was handed the captaincy of Geelong at age 23.
Selwood is a triple premiership player, four-time All-Australian (two of those as captain), triple best and fairest winner and four-time ALPHA Most Courageous Player. The lists goes on, too. By the way, he’s only 26 and hasn’t even notched up 200 games. As I said at the start… wow.
Pick 2 (Essendon) – Jack Riewoldt
Unfortunately for the Bombers, their Pick 2, Scott Gumbleton, is always going to be considered a bust. However, the Tigers took Jack at Pick 13. Riewoldt is the kind of player and character that a sports competition needs. He does the amazing, he does the stupid, and he does the unbelievable all in a ten-minute period.
Jack has played 158 games for Richmond and has kicked 385 goals. He’s a double Coleman Medallist, a best and fairest winner, and an All-Australian (2010). Jack is a high-flying, goal-kicking machine and an absolute steal for the Richmond Tigers in the 2006 draft.
Pick 3 (North Melbourne) – Travis Boak
Port Adelaide selected Boak with their fifth overall pick in the 2006 draft. Boak is an elite midfielder in the AFL, who plays inside and outside, winning his own ball, while also putting his body on the line for his teammates.
He’s averaged 23 disposals over 155 game career and is a big time player. Boak is a double All Australian, a best and fairest winner and the current captain of Port Adelaide. He’s a skilful player who shows incredible poise under pressure.
Pick 4 (Brisbane) – Josh P Kennedy
Kennedy was the 40th pick in this draft, selected by Hawthorn under the father-son rule. He played 13 games at the Hawks before crossing to Sydney in 2010. Kennedy has worked his way up to become one of the AFL’s best midfielders. He is a big-bodied midfielder, who is often tagged, but that doesn’t seem to bother him.
Kennedy has averaged 25 disposals and five tackles in his 135 games. 2012 was his season – he was named All-Australian (and in 2014), won a premiership with the Swans and was named their best and fairest winner.
Pick 5 (Port Adelaide) – Tom Hawkins
Hawkins was another taken under the father-son rule, by Geelong, with Pick 41. Like many key forwards, Hawkins took a few seasons to develop early in his career. However, since 2011, has passed Travis Cloke as the most powerful, dominant forward target in the AFL.
Hawkins is a double premiership player and was named All-Australian in 2011. He conquered the 2011 grand final where he finished with 19 disposals, nine marks and three goals. He’s kicked 286 goals and will hit the 150 game milestone in a few rounds.
Pick 6 (Hawthorn) – Robbie Gray
Hawthorn had a huge miss with their sixth pick, drafting a player who only played two games in his career. Robbie Gray was taken at Pick 55 by Port Adelaide and has played 115 games and kicked 161 goals. Extraordinary. Gray has had an interesting career – he’s been good and not so good throughout. This is mainly due to season-ending injuries and patches of poor form.
However, 2014 was a career year for Robbie Gray. He was All-Australian, averaged 25 disposals and was the AFL Coaches Association Player of the Year. He was also a major contender for the Brownlow Medal. Gray is a creative small forward-midfielder who can often do the spectacular, while still playing his role as good as anybody else in the team.
Pick 7 (Geelong) – Bryce Gibbs
Gibbs has had a great career with the Blues, but is not entitled to the number one pick title in my redraft. Personally, I don’t think he has had a career worthy of being a number one pick in any draft, let alone a talent-stocked draft class like this one.
Gibbs is a really consistent, hard-working midfielder. He is an extremely skilled player who has only missed four games in his entire career. If he doesn’t miss a game this season, he’ll notch up his 200th. He’s averaged 22 disposals and four tackles in his career, kicked 99 goals and was a best and fairest winner in 2014. He is currently in his first season as Carlton vice-captain.
Pick 8 (Collingwood) – Todd Goldstein
North Melbourne drafted Goldstein at Pick 37 in the 2006 draft. Goldstein has been a really consistent, well performing ruckman for the Kangaroos since 2011. He simply does what he is supposed to do.
Goldstein has averaged 29 hit outs and 11 disposals over his 117-game career. He can push forward and kick a goal, as well as running back to help his defence. He is one the best, most skilled ruckman in the game and shoulders a lot, if not all, of the ruck duties at North Melbourne.
Pick 9 (St Kilda) – Kurt Tippett
Adelaide remarkably drafted Tippett with the 32nd pick in this draft. I would say it was a steal, but I think Tippett stole more from Adelaide in the years to come. Tippett played 104 games, kicking 188 goals for the Crows before controversially joining Sydney in 2013. Through suspension and injuries, he has only managed 21 games in two years for the Swans.
Tippett is an extremely talented key forward, who can take a contested mark and kick a bag of goals (although his accuracy has been a problem in the past). He can play good minutes in the ruck as well. If he gets back to this best in 2015, he could kick his 300th goal. Amazing for a player who almost chose a basketball career.
Pick 10 (Collingwood) – Justin Westhoff
Westhoff was selected at Pick 71 by Port Adelaide in 2006. He could be the AFL’s most versatile player. He’ll play a key defensive role while also kicking two goals in one quarter. He can also do a bit of ruck work, and play solid time on the wing. Safe to say, he is a hard worker.
Westhoff’s past few seasons have been really consistent but he has struggled with his form over his career. Westhoff is a strong, reliable marking target and has kicked 204 goals over 160 games.
My next three redrafted picks
Pick 11: James Frawley (originally Pick 12)
Pick 12: Lindsay Thomas (originally Pick 53)
Pick 13: Ben Reid (originally Pick 8)
As I mentioned earlier, this draft was incredibly hard to redraft. And now you can see why. The key forwards and elite midfielders which have come out of this draft is hard to believe. We have been spoilt.
I probably haven’t given enough credit to the key defenders who were drafted in 2006.
There weren’t enough spots for players who are in the prime of their careers and have shown how valuable they are. Names like Eric Mackenzie, David Armitage, Tyson Goldsack and Chris Dawes are among those.
Collingwood, Geelong and Port Adelaide should be thanking their recruiting teams of 2006. While on the other hand, Essendon, St Kilda and Hawthorn should probably be finding new ones.
Did I get this right? Who would you redraft as the top ten picks in the 2006 draft?
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