With the trade period coming to a close yesterday afternoon and all five outgoing ‘homesick’ Brisbane players getting to their preferred clubs, the Lions were awarded with a raft of picks in the first two rounds.
In the 2013 National Draft, the Lions will have the opportunity to draft players with picks 7, 22, 25, 28, 33 and 34 – with Pick No.63 reserved for Hyundai Lions Academy forward Jonathan Freeman.
And while the players that the Lions gave up were all higher draft picks than what was received in return, it is interesting to take look back and see where some of Lions – and League – superstars were drafted.
Let’s start with the Lions:
Tom Rockliff (Pick #5 2009 Pre-season Draft) – A Lions’ favourite, Rocky has begun to gather a reputation as an elite midfielder of the competition and rightfully so, with the silky future leader amassing a monstrous 575 touches in 2013.
Jack Redden (Pick #25 2008 National Draft) – Having an seemingly brotherlike relationship on-field with Rockliff, Jack Redden is silky, uncompromising and one of the League’s best tacklers with the South Australian finishing with 147 tackles in 2013 (4th most in AFL).
Daniel Merrett (Pick #30 2002 National Draft) – A centrepiece of the Brisbane Lions as an unyielding defender and capable forward, Daniel Merrett would be a welcome to any inclusion to any club in the AFL.
Jed Adcock (Pick #33 2003 National Draft) – Brisbane Lions co-captain and crowd favourite, Jed has become an outstanding veteran for the Lions and is an integral part of the team’s back six.
Joel Patfull (Pick #56 2005 National Draft) – With back-to-back Club Champion awards under his belt, Joel Patfull’s accolades speak for themselves. He is the man you want in defence when the opposition starts to fire.
Jonathan Brown (Pick #30 1999 National Draft) – One of the best players the Brisbane Lions have ever produced, Browny is the leader of the Club in every aspect of the word. The players love him, the supporters love him, and the AFL community loves him.
Simon Black (Pick #31 1997 National Draft) – In the same league as Browny, Blacky is a Brownlow medallist, three-time premiership player, Norm Smith Medallist, three-time All-Australian, Brisbane Lions Captain, three-time Merrett-Murray Medallist and one of the best midfielders to play the game.
Looking to other clubs who are succeeding at the hands of second round draft picks are:
West Coast’s Jack Darling (Pick #26 in 2010), Hawthorn’s Jack Gunston (Pick #29 in 2009), Geelong’s Mitch Duncan (Pick #28 in 2009), Essendon’s Jake Carlisle (Pick #24 in 2009),Fremantle pair Nat Fyfe (Pick #20 in 2009) and Hayden Ballantyne (Pick #21 in 2008), Port Adelaide defender Jackson Trengove (Pick #22 in 2008), Bombers midfielder David Zaharakis (Pick #23 in 2008), Collingwood’s Dayne Beams (Pick #29 in 2009), and Swans gun Daniel Hannebery (Pick #30 in 2008)
And let’s not forget the veterans:
James Hird (Pick #79 1990), Ryan O’Keefe (Pick #56 1999), Chris Newman (Pick #55 2000), Steve Jonhson (Pick #24 2001) Adam Goodes (Pick #43 1997), Brendan Fevola (Pick #38 1998) or Sam Mitchell (Pick #36 2001).
So while it might feel like the Lions have been a little short-changed in the past month, it might pay to take the gamble.
You just never know what you might end up with.
