“That’s what I’m talking about!” Hawthorn’s Shane Crawford on the premiership dais in 2008. Photo: AFL MEDIA
The 1991 AFL draft has created Footyology “Redraft” history by producing the first original top 10 to undergo a “clean sweep”.
Every single player who was taken in that year’s top 10 has been replaced upon revision.
The recruiting staff from Brisbane, Essendon, Fitzroy, Geelong, Melbourne and Sydney from back then should all feel a bit ashamed as they were the only clubs who had top 10 picks in that year’s draft.
That said, the Cats, Swans and Bombers did make up for their early blunders by uncovering late gems who ended up in the revised top 10.
However, before we go into further detail about those selections, the highest praise is reserved for Hawthorn, which snared 1999 Brownlow medallist Shane Crawford with pick 13.
The 2008 premiership superstar claimed top spot in the 1991 redraft, after compiling one of the most glittering careers of the modern era.
Recruited from the rural New South Wales town of Finley, Crawford headed to the big smoke as a 17-year-old, and by the time he retired at the age of 34, he had left an indelible mark not only on the storied Hawthorn Football Club, but indeed the AFL as well.
The quick-thinking Crawford was a freakishly talented midfielder with pace to burn, and by the end of the 1990s, had risen to the upper echelon of the footy world.
He ended up with a Brownlow Medal, an AFLPA MVP, four All-Australian jumpers, four best-and-fairests and the Hawthorn captaincy, which he would hold on to for six seasons.
Perhaps most memorably, he finished his career with a premiership medal in his final game after the Hawks pulled off one of the biggest grand final upsets in 2008, toppling the almighty Cats. When he went up to the dais to accept his medal, he famously blasted the words: “That’s what I’m talking about!” into the microphone.
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Only 1961 premiership skipper Graham Arthur has captained the Hawks for more years (nine) than Crawford, while the great Leigh Matthews (eight) and Sam Mitchell (five) are the only players to have won more best-and-fairests for Hawthorn.
Crawford played 305 games and kicked 224 goals for the Hawks across 17 seasons. Matthews (332) and Mitchell (307) both pipped Crawford again on Hawthorn’s all-time games list, as well as the legendary Michael Tuck (426), placing Crawford in equal-fourth spot alongside Luke Hodge.
Crawford’s status as a Hawthorn club legend is assured and fittingly, he was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame as well.
Coming in at No.2 is the long-bombing Ben Graham, who was originally taken by the Cats at pick 40 of the pre-season draft. Considering there were 89 picks in the national draft, Graham was essentially the 129th name to be read out – that’s a serious bargain!
Graham could play at either end of the ground comfortably, but was known more for his exploits in defence. He also developed a reputation for his powerful left hoof which produced some of the biggest kicks ever seen on a footy field.
One such kick against Port Adelaide at Kardinia Park back in 1999 went past the centre circle from the Power’s goal square without bouncing.
The lure of using his devastating weapon in the NFL proved too strong in 2004 when he abruptly ended his AFL career at 30 and travelled to America to try his luck.
He ended up playing seven seasons as a punter with the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Arizona Cardinals and Detroit Lions. He even featured in a Super Bowl with the Cardinals in early 2009, making him the first Australian to achieve that feat.
Rounding out the top five are three more bargains in Sydney full back Andrew Dunkley, who slipped to pick 56, ever-reliable St Kilda midfielder Justin Peckett, taken nine picks later than Graham in the pre-season draft at 49, and Geelong hard nut Brad Sholl, originally drafted by North Melbourne at pick No.69.
The remainder of the revised top 10 features five more steals in Carlton premiership backman Glenn Manton (originally taken by Essendon), Adelaide’s 1997 grand final hero Shane Ellen (Footscray), gun Bulldog Paul Dimattina (Richmond), Ellen’s premiership teammate Matthew Connell (West Coast) and Hawthorn midfielder Richard Taylor.
*Redrafts only consider the first time a player was drafted.
It was a compromise draft, but from the 1st list, I’d still take Stephen O’Reilly ahead of half of those players in the 2nd list.
146 games for 3 clubs and would have played more that 100 good ones. Was close to Geelong’s best in the 1994 grand final and a F&B player at Fremantle. Blew the whistle on Carlton’s salary cap cheating too – which earns him extra kudos.