Hawthorn will hold three live picks in Thursday night’s 2013 NAB AFL draft – selections 24, 38 and 56. hawthornfc.com.au takes a look at the history of players taken at each choice in the lead-up to the draft.
As AFL football builds on the way it judges players and has the scope to develop them better than ever before means that the likelihood of future stars slipping through to late draft selections gets slimmer every year.
Hawthorn and its Recruiting and List Manager, Graham Wright along with his team of recruiters who spend countless hours scouting potential draft prospects has a knack of plucking a diamond in the rough.
At Thursday night’s National Draft, it will attempt to do the same as it takes its third and final live selection at pick 56 on the Gold Coast.
Surprisingly, the selection has produced a number of quality AFL players.
For starters, dual Sydney Swans Premiership player Ryan O’Keefe was taken at 56 in 1999.
O’Keefe began his career as a nuggetty half forward capable of taking a mark and whose goal sense was among the best in the competition.
After time developing in the AFL system though, he became a member of the Swans’ highly respected and powerful midfield group.
He is tough, wins his own ball and is an elite user of the footy. He kicks goals, can nullify some of the competition’s best and has been incredibly durable over his career.
O’Keefe has played 282 games, won two premierships (in 2005 and 2012), won the Norm Smith Medal in 2012, was Sydney’s best and fairest winner in 2009 and was named All Australian in 2006.
The Lions also had success with pick 56, selecting brilliant goal kicker Daniel Bradshaw in 1995.
Although he played in the shadows of Alastair Lynch early in his career, Bradshaw was a powerful goal kicker in his own right and was capable of winning a game off his own boot.
He was a member of Brisbane’s 2001 and 2003 premiership sides and was their leading goal kicker in 2005, 2006 and 2008.
Bradshaw played 222 games for Brisbane before leaving for Sydney in 2010.
Western Bulldogs star and now Melbourne veteran, Daniel Cross was also taken at pick 56 one year after O’Keefe, in 2000.
Although not known for his speed, Cross was one of the Bulldogs’ most valued players when challenging for the premiership in the late 2000s.
A tough in and under midfielder, Cross is the ultimate professional in the way he prepares for each match and the attitude in which he attacks his training.
From this, he has got the best out of himself and his abilities and is respected as one of the most courageous and selfless players in the competition who is a leader amongst men.
He is well adept at the clearances, loves to tackle and is a good short kick much like St Kilda champion, Robert Harvey.
Cross played 210 games for the Bulldogs and won their best and fairest in 2008. He will play for the Demons next season.
Former Geelong forward Cameron Mooney was also taken at pick 56 but by the Kangaroos way back in 1996.
Mooney won a flag with North Melbourne in 1999 before crossing to the Cats in 2000 where he played 210 games and won two premierships in 2007 and 2009.
He was their leading goal kicker in 2007 and 2009 and also named All Australian in 2007.
Other notable players selected at pick 56 were former Fremantle and Collingwood goal sneak Paul Medhurst, former West Coast, Essendon and Western Bulldogs ruckman Ilija Grgic, Brisbane best and fairest winner Joel Patfull and former Adelaide and now Richmond forward Chris Knights.
History of pick 56 since 1994
Daniel Curry (North Melbourne/Sydney)
Tom Downie (GWS)
Josh Mellington (Fremantle)
Josh Cowan (Geelong)
Ben Bucovaz (Fremantle)
Matt Austin (Brisbane)
Garry Moss (Hawthorn)
Joel Patfull (Brisbane)
Chris Knights (Adelaide/Richmond)
Brent LeCras (North Melbourne)
Robert Shirley (Adelaide)
Paul Medhurst (Fremantle/Collingwood)
Daniel Cross (Western Bulldogs/Melbourne)
Ryan O’Keefe (Sydney)
Ilija Grgic (West Coast/Essendon/Western Bulldogs )
Ben Kinnear (Collingwood)
Cameron Mooney (North Melbourne/Geelong)
Daniel Bradshaw (Brisbane/Sydney)
Ryan Smith (Fremantle)
