Jason Akermanis, pictured during his five-goal, 20-disposal starring role in Brisbane’s 2003 grand final win. Photo: AFL MEDIA
It is no overstatement to say that the No.1 pick in Footyology’s 1994 AFL Redraft is one of the most brilliant players in the 125-year history of the league.
Brisbane and Bulldogs superstar Jason Akermanis easily claims top spot upon revision, but recruiters shouldn’t feel too bad about it because he was a Brisbane zone pick taken before the draft.
Possibly because of his big personality and his often outlandish off-field antics, as well as the odd controversy that landed him in hot water from time to time and eventually saw him essentially sacked by two clubs, incredibly, it feels as though Akermanis is still somewhat underrated.
But when you just look at what he was able to do on a football field, and strip everything else away, the guy was an absolute genius.
A stupendous user of the ball on both sides of his body and magnificent finisher, his extraordinary talents allowed him to produce countless breathtaking performances and moments.
Who could forget his kicking of two almost identical freakish goals in the space of just a couple of minutes in driving rain against Geelong up at the Gabba back in 2005?
He talked the talk, but crucially, he also walked the walk. Akermanis was a big game player to his very core, averaging 17 touches and kicking 43 goals in 28 finals games, including 17 and 11 in four grand finals.
A key member of the Lions’ fabled “fab four”, which also included Michael Voss, Simon Black and Nigel Lappin, Akermanis stood tall when it counted, especially in the 2002 grand final against Collingwood, kicking the match-winning goal on his “wrong” side with his left foot, due to a nasty right adductor injury, and the following year producing a performance worthy of a Norm Smith Medal.
In the 2003 decider, against the same foes the Magpies, Akermanis propelled his team to a magical “three-peat” of premierships with 20 possessions and five goals, but was pipped for best-on-ground honours by Black who racked up 39 touches (25 contested), nine tackles, nine clearances and a goal.
His career finished at the Western Bulldogs, where he played another 77 games in four seasons and kicked 114 goals, taking his career tallies to 325 and 421 respectively.
Akermanis’ best year was 2001, when he recorded career-highs in disposals (510), contested possessions (210) and clearances (105), while also booting 28 goals on the way to a Brownlow Medal victory and his first flag.
All up, the hand-standing, bleach-blond superstar finished his career with three premierships, a Brownlow, four All-Australian nods, two best-and-fairests and induction in the Australian Football Hall of Fame.
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But if there was one club that hit the jackpot in 1994, it was Sydney. Picking up the likes of Michael O’Loughlin, Shannon Grant, Leo Barry, Anthony Rocca, Matthew Nicks and Troy Luff, the Swans’ recruiting department did a sterling job.
Of course, Grant and Rocca wouldn’t hang around for too many years, and Akermanis would prove to be the fly in Rocca’s ointment in two grand finals in 2002 and 2003.
But O’Loughlin proved to be a massive bargain. Originally taken at pick 40, the sensational forward shoots up 38 spots to be the revised No.2 pick for 1994.
A gifted match-winner, O’Loughlin was a dangerous proposition for every backline and a hard player to stop once he got going, booting six goals on three occasions and five another nine times for a career total of 521 from 303 games.
A two-time All-Australian and best-and-fairest winner, O’Loughlin was part of Sydney’s 2005 drought-breaking premiership, which ended the VFL/AFL’s longest-ever barren run of 72 years.
Such is O’Loughlin’s standing at the Swans, he is ranked second at the club for goals, behind only the legendary Bob Pratt, and fourth for games. He, too, was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame, as well as the Indigenous Team of the Century.
Rounding out the top three is another massive bargain in Adelaide champion Tyson Edwards, who was originally taken with pick 21 in the pre-season draft, amounting to an upgrade of 115 spots.
The silky-smooth Edwards is an all-time great of the Crows, ranking second at the club for games behind the legendary Andrew McLeod, and playing in their memorable back-to-back premierships in 1997 and 1998.
A remarkably consistent performer, Edwards really hit his straps from the year 2000, averaging 22 disposals a game over the next decade and playing at least 20 matches a season in the same period. He would finish up with 321 games and 192 goals.
Completing the top five are Essendon premiership forward Scott Lucas, who maintains his position in fourth spot, and Grant, who played the last 11 years of his career with the Kangaroos, including a flag and Norm Smith Medal in 1999.
Coming in at No.6 is “Leo Barry, you star”, followed by Rocca, St Kilda dynamo Aussie Jones, the classy Joel Smith and 1995 Carlton premiership star Scott Camporeale.
Apologies go out to original No.1 pick Jeff White, two-time premiership player Blake Caracella, durable Demon Adem Yze, Hawthorn forward Ben Dixon, Carlton and St Kilda battering ram Aaron Hamill and dual Lions flag-winning hard nut Brad Scott, who all missed out on inclusion in the revised top 10.
Lucas, Grant, Rocca and Smith were the four players from the original top 10 to maintain their standing in the 1994 Redraft top 10.
*Redrafts only consider the first time a player was drafted.
