It has been nearly two decades since St Kilda held such a strong position in the first round of the draft, back when they added Luke Ball and Xavier Clarke with two of the first five picks in 2001.
Since then, the Saints have never possessed two top-ten picks and have only had six selections inside the first ten in that time – Paddy McCartin (No. 1, 2014), Jack Billings (No. 3, 2013), Ben McEvoy (No. 9, 2007), David Armitage (No. 9, 2006), Raphael Clarke (No. 8, 2003) and Brendon Goddard (No. 1, 2002).
On November 24, St Kilda List & Recruiting Manager Tony Elshaug and his team of recruiters – Chris Liberatore, Chris Toce, Mark Smart and Wayne Hughes – will enter the 2017 NAB AFL Draft armed with picks No. 7 and No. 8, as well as No. 34 and No. 45.
Pick No. 8 has acquired its fair share of key position players since the turn of the century, including Ben Reid, Lachlan Henderson, Tyrone Vickery, John Butcher, and more recently Peter Wright and Griffin Logue.
Essendon skipper Dyson Heppell has played 129 games since being plucked with the eighth selection in the 2010 draft and has quickly become one of the best young midfielders in the competition.
St Kilda coach Alan Richardson and 2013 pick No. 3 Jack Billings at the draft.
While comparing drafts is fraught with danger, with exactly three weeks remaining until the 2017 edition, saints.com.au has identified the four best players to be recruited at pick No. 8 since 2000 – the year the club read out Nick Riewoldt’s name with the first pick.
1. Jimmy Bartel (Geelong) 2001 – Drafted
305 games, 3 x Premiership player (2007, 2009, 2011), 2 x All-Australian (2007, 2008), 1 x Brownlow Medal (2007), 1 x Norm Smith Medal (2011).
2. Dyson Heppell (Essendon) 2010 – Drafted from Gippsland Power, TAC Cup
129 games, 3 x 22under 22
3. Ben Reid (Collingwood) 2006 – Drafted from Murray Bushrangers, TAC Cup
136 games, 1 x Premiership player (2010), 1 x All-Australian (2011)
4. Lachlan Henderson (Brisbane/Carlton/Geelong) 2007 – Drafted
158 games, 3rd Place in 2013 John Nicholls Medal
