Essendon champion James Hird might well have been the greatest steal in recruiting history, picked up at No.79.

The 1990 AFL draft may well have produced the greatest steal in VFL/AFL draft history as a bloke by the name of James Hird slipped all the way down to pick No.79 and into the waiting arms of Essendon.

Hird would go on to become not only one of Essendon’s greatest ever players, but one of the best footballers to ever step on to a footy field.

So in Footyology’s “Redraft”, it goes without saying he replaces Geelong’s Stephen Hooper in the No.1 spot in the revised top 10.

Hird was a magician. His footy IQ, ability to consistently choose the right option, his skills, class, vision, and knack for rising to the big occasion and the big moments when his team needed him set him apart from the rest and also made him a truly great leader.

He kicked almost 350 goals in his career but he was so versatile that, when called upon, he could be placed anywhere on the ground to fill a hole that needed filling.

Hird ended up playing 253 games for the Bombers in 17 seasons and in that time won two premierships (once as captain), a Brownlow Medal, five All-Australian jumpers, five best-and-fairests and the 2000 Norm Smith Medal.

He captained the club for eight seasons, was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame, named in the Essendon Team of the Century, ranked at No.3 in the ‘Champions Of Essendon’ – behind only the great Dick Reynolds and John Coleman, and won the Anzac Day Medal on three occasions.

All that for pick 79? “Yes please,” Essendon said.

Of course, Hird’s time at Essendon wouldn’t be all peaches and cream. His coaching tenure was marred by the catastrophic supplements scandal which almost brought the club to its knees. But from a playing perspective, he was a true great of the game.

Coming in at No.2 behind Hird is the brilliant Allen Jakovich, who jumped up four places from sixth. He might have only played 54 games, but didn’t he leave an indelible mark on the sport?

Jakovich burst onto the scene in 1991 for the Demons, becoming the fastest player to reach 50 goals in history – doing so in just nine games.

Not only was he capable of the downright freakish, as evidenced by his miraculous scissor-kick goal he booted in the same game he snagged a career-best 11 majors against North Melbourne, but he defied his relatively small stature of 187cm to become a devastating focal point in attack for the Dees.

But almost as quickly as he arrived, Jakovich faded into obscurity. He finished up at Footscray and after 208 goals, at an average of four a game, Jakovich retired at the age of 28.

Swing man Jason McCartney comes in at No.3, promoted from No.4.

Originally taken by Collingwood, he crossed to Adelaide after four years with the Magpies, before truly establishing himself as a bona fide defender with North Melbourne, where he played 107 of his 182 career games.

Tragically, his career was cut short at the age of 29 as a result of significant injuries incurred in the 2002 Bali bombings, but he heroically made it back for one last game in 2003 before announcing his retirement on that same emotion-filled night against Richmond.

The new No.4 is big, gangly ruckman Matthew Burton, who was taken by West Coast with pick 36, but never actually played a game for the Eagles. He ended up defying his awkward 210-centimetre frame to become a very impactful ruckman for both Fremantle and North Melbourne.

Richmond goal sneak Nick Daffy enjoys a decent upgrade from pick 49 to No.5 thanks to an impressive 11-year career with the Tigers. Daffy was very clever around goals, ending up with a career-high bag of six majors and four hauls of five to his credit.

Enigmatic forward James “The Captain” Cook slides from pick two to six. Cook ended up playing with three clubs and finished with 139 goals from 77 games. In his prime he was a very dangerous key forward, and was capable of kicking a bag with a haul of seven and five hauls of six to his name.

St Kilda and Melbourne defender Jamie Shanahan proved to be a huge bargain for the Saints, where he played most of his career. Originally taken at pick No.92, he went on to play 162 AFL games and shoots all the way up to No.7 in the revised top 10 as a result.

The talented Fabian Francis, Bulldogs and Melbourne defender Craig Ellis and Carlton premiership forward Matt Clape round out the top 10. Francis is catapulted from 63 to eight while Ellis also proved to be a bit of a steal, moving from 50 all the way up to nine, carving out a fine career with the Bulldogs after being drafted initially by North Melbourne, with whom he never played a senior game.

Jakovich, McCartney, Cook and Clape are the only players to remain in the revised top 10.