In the days leading up to the 2017 NAB AFL Draft, we'll be counting down Hawthorn's top 10 draft classes from the last 30 years, with one class revealed each day...
The 2001 ‘Superdraft’ saw the Hawks holding the no. 1 pick after trading key position players Trent Croad and Luke McPharlin to Fremantle.
With it they took Luke Hodge, a Colac teenager from the Geelong Falcons, who would go on to become one of the Hawks’ all-time greats.
Hodge’s first season saw him receive a rising star nomination, before claiming the first of two Peter Crimmins Medals in 2005 after a season in which he was named in the All-Australian side on the halfback flank.
In 2008 he was an integral performer as Hawthorn claimed their first premiership since 1991, winning the Norm Smith medal and again earning All-Australian honours.
Named captain ahead of the 2011 season, Hodge led the Hawks to successive premierships for the first time in the club’s history, as they won the 2013, ’14 and ’15 grand finals.
Hodge was awarded the 2014 Norm Smith Medalas best afield in the decider against Sydney, while he finished his career with the Hawks after 305 games.
Pick 36 delivered Hawthorn a second premiership immortal, with the selection used to grab Box Hill midfielder Sam Mitchell, who had missed out on being drafted 12 months earlier.
Mitchell quickly made up for lost time, taking out the competition’s Rising Star Award in 2003 before claiming the first his four club best and fairests in 2006.
Named captain after the 2007 season, Mitchell led the Hawks to the ’08 Grand Final upset of Geelong as well as playing a starring role in the 2013-15 successes.
The prolific ball winner was retrospectively awarded the 2012 Brownlow medal late in 2016, tied with Richmond’s Trent Cotchin, to become the fifth player from the ‘01 draft to claim the AFL’s highest individual honour.
The Hawks’ second selection at the draft was used to pluck Rick Ladson from the Bendigo Pioneers who would go on and play 125 games for Hawthorn, predominantly as a small defender.
Ladson was also a member of the 2008 winning grand final team, before his final game for Hawthorn came in 2011.
Campbell Brown was the remaining premiership player taken by the Hawks in the 2001 draft, with the tough defender an All-Australian member in 2007 before being named as one of the Hawks’ best in the 2008 decider.
Brown played 159 games in the brown and gold before finishing his career with the Gold Coast Suns.
The Hawks’ sixth selection at the draft, Simon Cox, played 35 games for the Hawks and finished runner up in the best and fairest during his first season, while Pick 20, Daniel Elstone, was unable to make his debut.
Rookies Ben Kane and Nick Stone pulled on the guernsey for 23 and 17 games respectively, while Djaran Whyman and Michael Georgiadis weren’t as lucky.
2001 NATIONAL DRAFT
PICK 1: LUKE HODGE
PICK 16: RICK LADSON
PICK 20: DANIEL ELSTONE
PICK 32: CAMPBELL BROWN
PICK 36: SAM MITCHELL
PICK 46: SIMON COX
ROOKIE DRAFT
PICK 13: BEN KANE
PICK 29: DJARAN WHYMAN
PICK 44: NICK STONE
PICK 55: MICHAEL GEORGIADIS
