Fremantle legend David Mundy reigns supreme in the 2003 AFL Redraft after a spectacular career. Photo: AFL MEDIA
For the next instalment of the Footyology Redraft series, we travel back 20 years to put the class of 2003 under the microscope.
Upon revision, there were three standout candidates for the reassembled top three, and after much deliberation, Fremantle legend David Mundy snuck his nose in front of star Collingwood and GWS defender Heath Shaw, and 2008 Brownlow Medalist Adam Cooney.
Originally taken at pick No.19, Mundy would end up being one of the great bargain selections in Fremantle’s 29-year history. And given the infamous reputation that the Dockers had on the list management front in the early part of their history, Mundy’s capture was all the more welcome.
Not only would the tough and uncompromising midfielder become one of the best, and underrated, on-ballers of his generation, but he would end up the Dockers’ all-time games record holder with a whopping 376 to his credit.
In fact, Mundy is ranked ninth in VFL/AFL history for games played after an incredible 19-year career that only ended in 2022.
Mundy earned All-Australian honours in 2015, won his club’s best-and-fairest in 2010 and defied his age by polling a career-best 20 Brownlow votes in his second-last season when he was 36.
At a club that has been notoriously starved of success, Mundy sits comfortably alongside Matthew Pavlich and Nat Fyfe as one of Fremantle’s greatest players.
Shaw comes in at No.2 in the revised order after enjoying a sizeable upgrade from pick 48, where he was taken as a father-son selection by Collingwood.
And what a steal that proved to be for the Magpies.
Shaw blossomed into one of the AFL’s premier small defenders in his 10 years at the Magpies, in which time he played in a premiership in 2010.
But after a falling-out with then-coach Nathan Buckley, Shaw departed and took his game to even greater heights with Greater Western Sydney where he claimed two All-Australian nods and won a best-and-fairest.
Skilful, intelligent and a reliable mainstay in the backlines of both Collingwood and GWS who made life very difficult for every opponent he played on, Shaw ended up playing 325 games in 18 seasons.
Rounding out the top three is Cooney, but when you look at his career game tally (250), compared to Mundy and Shaw, one can’t help but think what might’ve been had he not been hit so hard by injury for the majority of his career.
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The brilliant Bulldog was electric at full flight. One of the most eye-catching and talented on-ballers of the early part of the century, he also knew where the goals were, finishing up with 202 majors, including two bags of five, and three hauls of four.
He made an instant splash in the AFL and won both a Brownlow and an All-Australian in his fifth year, aged 23.
Cooney appeared to have the world at his feet, but even though he was still able to maintain a high level of play in his next two seasons, a serious knee injury suffered in 2008 would plague him for the last nine years of his career, severely restricting him and preventing him from realising his full potential.
Between seasons 2011-2015, Cooney played 75 of 110 possible games, with injury ruling him out of essentially a season-and-a-half of footy in total in that time. He finished his career at Essendon.
Coming in at No.4 in the 2003 Redraft is tough-as-nails West Coast premiership defender Beau Waters and St Kilda All-Australian defender Sam Fisher completes the revised top five after originally being selected at 55.
In sixth spot is star Fremantle defender Michael Johnson, who enjoys an upgrade of 83 picks after being taken at pick eight in the pre-season draft, and durable Essendon midfielder Brent Stanton climbs up to seventh from 13.
Melbourne and Carlton on-baller Brock McLean drops to eight from five, where he was originally selected by the Demons, his goalsneak teammate from his Melbourne days Aaron Davey zooms up to No.9 after being taken with the third pick of the rookie draft, which essentially represents a promotion of 87 spots, and Carlton’s Andrew Walker rounds out the top 10 after being taken at No.2 two decades ago.
Cooney, McLean and Walker were the only original 2003 draftees who retained their top-10 status in the Redraft.
Other players who were unlucky to miss out on selection in the revised top 10 were Melbourne talent Colin Sylvia, who ended up at Fremantle, dependable Richmond midfielder Shane Tuck, who was a bargain at pick 73, Brisbane and Gold Coast on-baller Michael Rischitelli, another late gem at 61, and his Lions teammate Jed Adcock.
Three-club midfielder Farren Ray, Sydney premiership player Amon Buchanan and scintillating Essendon forward Andrew Lovett, taken at pick 42 in the rookie draft, can also consider themselves stiff.
*Redrafts only consider the first time a player was drafted.
