1 draft pick?

Question

is the nunber 1 draft pick in afl always the best

Answer 1

Just like in any sport with a draft system the no. 1 pick isn't always the best.

Drafting/recruiting isn't an exact science - no-one knows with 100% certainty whether a top 17-18 year old player will end up developing into an excellent AFL player, no matter how good the kid is - there's such a vast amount of variables involved.

Answer 2

no not at all, just look at sum of the past players, james hird was bout no.75 and was a gr8 player, but they choose a lot betta these days stil not always is the no.1 the best

Answer 3

No the number 1 draft pick is usually just the player who has performed the best in the NAB AFL U18 Championships and AFL Draft Camp Testing e.g Matthew Kreuzer last year, Bryce Gibbs before him and probably Nataniu next year. Players selected late in drafts are referred to as "smokeys' who have proven themselves in Elite Competition despite being picked late. Some great players who were selected late include

James Hird #79 1990

Gary Ablett Junior #40 2001

Adam Goodes #43 1997

Most of these players were only drafted late because they were injured thus effecting there form in the u18s and testing.

Alot of #1 draft picks perform poorly at AFL level such as Clive Waterhouse 1995 and Stephen Hooper 1990. They also have alot more pressure on them than the other recruits

Answer 4

Most of the time:

Kreuzer, Gibbs, Murphy, Deledio, Cooney etc.

Answer 5

It is when Richmond misses out, and definitely isn't when they get to pick one.  Now if we could just get the yellow in Lance  Franklin's guernsey turned into a sash instead of a stripe...

Answer 6

No.

But Natainui looks the goods this year. Leaping abilities of White and pace of Judd, not bad...

The number 1 draft pick isn't necessarily the best player in the draft, eg. the Bulldogs took Grant at number 5 this year, he definitely wasn't the best player that we could take (Palmer), but he was what we needed, a KPP. So sometimes the club with the #1 pick won't take the best player, but they'll take the best player they need (mid, backs)

Answer 7

Depends on your opinion. The club that picks the player obviously thinks he's the best, but others might not. They don't  always turn out as the best player from that age group either.

This year I reckon Number 1 will be Watts, if he nominates for the draft....

Answer 8

Rarely.  But more likely to be better than someone near the bottom.  The prime pick is as much dependent on the team who gets to pick firsts needs as it is about the best player.  I mean, if you've already got a good range of ruckman, would you need another one?

Though saying that, I'd have Natanui in a trice.

Answer 9

not really

Answer 10

Chris Judd was a number 3 draft pick for the Eagles.

Answer 11

Well yes.

........you see at the start number 1 draft picks have too much expectations to handle and might start their careers shakey. But by the end of their careers if you think about it they would have been better than that number 2 or 3 drafts

in most cases anyways

Answer 12

nope

Answer 13

seary,  hawthorn took roughead over Franklin, then the doggies took Ryan Griffin, tiges then took tambling at 4,  then hawthorn took Franklin,  at number 1 we took deledio, but there was some reason why we never took Franklin first, escapes me at present,  the bullies had a chance and the hawks had a chance b4 us, both chose other players over buddy,  we should of taken him at numb 4 though.

1. Richmond: Brett Deledio (Murray Bushrangers)

2. Hawthorn: Jarryd Roughead (Gippsland Power)

3. Western Bulldogs: Ryan Griffen (South Adelaide)

4. Richmond: Richard Tambling (Southern Districts)

5. Hawthorn: Lance Franklin (Perth)

6. Western Bulldogs: Tom Williams (Morningside)

7. Hawthorn: Jordan Lewis (Geelong Falcons)

8. Adelaide: John Meesen (Geelong Falcons)

9. Carlton: Jordan Russell (West Adelaide)

10. Collingwood: Christopher Egan (Murray Bushrangers

to answer your question, no, kruezer isn't the number 1 performer out of all the draftees this year, there are a few in front of him,  also, i will give you two names to add to my argument, Ty esler and Anthony banik,  google those two, number 1 picks.   banik was handy but definitely not a 'number 1' pick.  as history will tell.