Each successive pre-season draft takes on additional significance as we get further and further from our start-up draft.
Keeper lists are increasingly composed of players plucked from these drafts. As is the yearly All-Australian team.
The Soldiers have parlayed draft capital into established finalist and, according to most coaches, the most desirable list for the future. It can also help prolong current success – seven Chiefs draftees featured in the starting 22 of their 2020 premiership side.
In this article we’ll look back on the first five rounds of our most recent draft. Which picks hit, and which were misses?
In separate articles, we’ll also take a more all-encompassing look at the selections on a team-by-team basis.
Round 1
| Round 1 | Player | Team | Games | Avg |
| 1 | Noah Anderson GC – C | Solomon’s Soldiers | 13 | 60.5 |
| 2 | Matthew Rowell GC – C | Solomon’s Soldiers | 3 | 96.7 |
| 3 | Hayden Young FR – B | Feelin Dusty | 2 | 30 |
| 4 | Dylan Stephens SY – C | Shire Scourers | 5 | 51.6 |
| 5 | Sam Powell-Pepper PA – C,F | Love Sparkles | 16 | 59 |
| 6 | Ryan Burton PA – B | Defenestrators | 3 | 59 |
| 7 | Will Snelling ES – F | Taxmanian Devils | 10 | 56.6 |
| 8 | Jordan Ridley ES – B | Taxmanian Devils | 15 | 74.2 |
| 9 | Shaun Higgins NM – C | Roughnecks | 16 | 76.1 |
| 10 | Tom Green GWS – C | MaherShalalHashBaz | 0 | 0 |
Most disappointing: Ryan Burton, who couldn’t get on the park all that often for a Defenestrator outfit pushing for premiership glory.
Though one continues to suspect the oft-rebuilding Taxmanian Devils will regret taking Snelling at 7 instead of the guy who went tenth.
Best selection: Taking Snelling and Ridley back to back drew some… reactions, on draft day. But Ridley is the pick of the round here, making the All-Australian team in his breakout season. Higgins wasn’t far behind in the usefulness stakes – though you’d want that to be the case when you take a 30+ year old in the opening round.
In reality though only a few teams will likely be disappointed to look back on these selections in a few years time – with the short money being on the Soliders beaming brightest (though, again, you’d want to be beaming bright with picks 1 and 2). Premiers MaherShalalHashBaz landing Tom Green at the end of the round also seems like a major win based on his early showings at AFL level.
Redrafting the round in 2021
| 1 | Matthew Rowell |
| 2 | Tom Green |
| 3 | Noah Anderson |
| 4 | Jordan Ridley |
| 5 | Hayden Young |
| 6 | Dylan Stephens |
| 7 | Shaun Higgins |
| 8 | Sam Powell-Pepper |
| 9 | Ryan Burton |
| 10 | Will Snelling |
Round 2
| Round 2 | Player | Team | Games | Avg |
| 11 | Lachlan Ash GWS – B,C | Shire Scourers | 4 | 48 |
| 12 | Sam Flanders GC – C,F | Lethal Vipers | 1 | 39 |
| 13 | Caleb Serong FR – C | Feelin Dusty | 11 | 63.1 |
| 14 | Charlie Curnow CA – F | MaherShalalHashBaz | 0 | 0 |
| 15 | Jy Simpkin NM – C,F | Love Sparkles | 16 | 69 |
| 16 | Trent Rivers ME – B,C | MaherShalalHashBaz | 6 | 54.7 |
| 17 | Ben Ainsworth GC – C,F | MaherShalalHashBaz | 15 | 62 |
| 18 | Jayden Short RI – B | Puttanesca Chiefs | 16 | 73.4 |
| 19 | Aaron vandenBerg ME – C,F | Shire Scourers | 10 | 43.5 |
| 20 | Connor Budarick GC – C,F | MaherShalalHashBaz | 6 | 38 |
Most disappointing: Charlie Curnow couldn’t take the field in 2020. Everyone else on this list featured at least once for their club. Curnow “wins” this award as a result.
But Aaron vandenberg isn’t far behind. Yes, he played 10 games for his Scourers, but he didn’t score particularly well, and unlike the other names here, he doesn’t hold much trade value.
Best selection: a lot of potential winners here. Simpkin made the All-Australian team. But Short averaged more, and will maintain defender status, while Simpkin has already lost his forward status. Serong is arguably the best first year player who didn’t hurt his shoulder in round 5.
Short takes the crown, I think. He looms large as a potential keeper down back for some time.
Redrafting the round in 2021
| 11 | Jayden Short |
| 12 | Caleb Serong |
| 13 | Jy Simpkin |
| 14 | Lachlan Ash |
| 15 | Trent Rivers |
| 16 | Ben Ainsworth |
| 17 | Sam Flanders |
| 18 | Connor Budarick |
| 19 | Charlie Curnow |
| 20 | Aaron vandenberg |
Round 3
| Round 3 | Player | Team | Games | Avg |
| 21 | Luke Jackson ME – R | Solomon’s Soldiers | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | Kyle Langford ES – C,F | Puttanesca Chiefs | 16 | 68.3 |
| 23 | Trent Bianco CW – B,C | Feelin Dusty | 0 | 0 |
| 24 | Hamish Hartlett PA – B | Shire Scourers | 14 | 60.4 |
| 25 | Darcy Tucker FR – C,F | Shire Scourers | 7 | 66.9 |
| 26 | David Swallow GC – C | Defenestrators | 15 | 71.4 |
| 27 | Josh Battle SK – B | Puttanesca Chiefs | 7 | 47.6 |
| 28 | Mitchell Georgiades PA – F | Feelin Dusty | 7 | 45.9 |
| 29 | Deven Robertson BL – C | Roughnecks | 0 | 0 |
| 30 | Gary Ablett GE – F | Defenestrators | 8 | 60.9 |
Most disappointing: Deven Robertson, a speculative pick from a team that could’ve done with more ready made talent in this spot for season 2020. Jackson and Bianco also failed to feature, but ruck and rebuilding status respectively saves those two.
Best selection: Kyle Langford played 16 games for the eventual premiers, including an 80 on Grand Final day. Fun fact though, former Chief-turned-Defenestrator David Swallow, a closer runner up for this title, also featured in this year’s Grand Final… and also scored 80. Age and position gives Langford the nod though.
Redrafting the round in 2021
| 21 | Kyle Langford |
| 22 | Josh Battle |
| 23 | Mitchell Georgiades |
| 24 | David Swallow |
| 25 | Luke Jackson |
| 26 | Darcy Tucker |
| 27 | Trent Bianco |
| 28 | Hamish Hartlett |
| 29 | Deven Robertson |
| 30 | Gary Ablett Jnr |
Round 4
| Round 4 | Player | Team | Games | Avg |
| 31 | Jack Bytel SK – C | Lethal Vipers | 2 | 39.5 |
| 32 | Ricky Henderson HW – C | Solomon’s Soldiers | 6 | 60 |
| 33 | Cameron Rayner BL – F | Feelin Dusty | 8 | 54.4 |
| 34 | Tim Membrey SK – F | Shire Scourers | 14 | 51.3 |
| 35 | Blake Hardwick HW – B | Love Sparkles | 8 | 52.1 |
| 36 | James Aish FR – B | Lethal Vipers | 13 | 59.5 |
| 37 | Gryan Miers GE – F | Puttanesca Chiefs | 16 | 61.1 |
| 38 | Isaac Quaynor CW – B | Solomon’s Soldiers | 3 | 50.3 |
| 39 | Jeremy Howe CW – B | Roughnecks | 4 | 85.5 |
| 40 | Ben McEvoy HW – R | MaherShalalHashBaz | 5 | 50 |
Most disappointing: After going young with their earlier selections, the premiers went with someone tried and tested here. But McEvoy wasn’t much chop in 2020. Henderson is also in the mix here given the fall from his superlative 2019.
Best selection: Jeremy Howe was winning this in a canter, but injury stopped that steam train. Rayner is a good value selection here, and could be a long term star up forward if his upward trend continues. Aish emerged as a dependable defender.
But Gryan Miers featured 16 times for the eventual premiers, including the grand final. That makes it three best-in-round selections on the trot for the Chiefs.
Redrafting the round in 2021
| 31 | Jeremy Howe |
| 32 | Gryan Miers |
| 33 | Isaac Quaynor |
| 34 | Cam Rayner |
| 35 | James Aish |
| 36 | Blake Hardwick |
| 37 | Jack Bytel |
| 38 | Ben McEvoy |
| 39 | Tim Membrey |
| 40 | Ricky Henderson |
Round 5
| Round 5 | Player | Team | Games | Avg |
| 41 | Ned McHenry AD – C | Solomon’s Soldiers | 1 | 37 |
| 42 | Shai Bolton RI – F | Taxmanian Devils | 12 | 64.5 |
| 43 | Miles Bergman PA – F | Feelin Dusty | 0 | 0 |
| 44 | Conor McKenna ES – B | Shire Scourers | 5 | 46.4 |
| 45 | Tom Cutler ES – C | Love Sparkles | 0 | 0 |
| 46 | Jack Higgins RI – F | Defenestrators | 10 | 59 |
| 47 | Dane Rampe SY – B | Shire Scourers | 6 | 44.7 |
| 48 | Kade Simpson CA – B | Solomon’s Soldiers | 12 | 58.8 |
| 49 | Matthew Kreuzer CA – R | Defenestrators | 0 | 0 |
| 50 | Jacob Dawson GC – B | Taxmanian Devils | 0 | 0 |
Most disappointing: A few options here, with this round doubling as a retirement party. Cutler, Kreuzer, and McHenry in the running here, but I think Dawson takes it – the Devils can ill afford to come away with draft picks that don’t feature at all for them, and aren’t undeniable keepers. The same criticism could be levelled at FD and Bergman, but Bergman at least is a first round draftee, and could reasonably be kept by Feelin Dusty.
Best selection: Speaking of keepers, Shai Bolton! The Devils’ other selection is the clear pick of the bunch here. Higgins and Simpson were both very serviceable.
Redrafting the round in 2021
| 41 | Shai Bolton |
| 42 | Jack Higgins |
| 43 | Miles Bergman |
| 44 | Ned McHenry |
| 45 | Dane Rampe |
| 46 | Tom Cutler |
| 47 | Jacob Dawson |
| 48 | Conor McKenna |
| 49 | Matthew Kreuzer |
| 50 | Kade Simpson |
