While the third pick of the draft is the bronze medal selection, that doesn't mean that clubs aren't able to strike gold with the pick. While two clubs get to draft a player first, often a few hidden gems slip through this miniature crack.
Looking over the picks since 2000, there isn't the same depth as the first two selections. However, at the top end of the board, two of the greatest and most damaging players of all time find themselves selected at the 3rd pick.
In what was considered the hardest decision, the choice between Martin vs Judd went back and forth with little separating the two superstars.
Even further down the list, there are multiple club B&F winners, All-Australians and even a player with an (unofficial) award named after them.
This list also looks to get even stronger over the next few years, with Luke Jackson, Izak Rankine and Will Phillips.
Even though each of these names are highly talented players who could someday make their way onto this list, they currently don't have the sustained success to find themselves on this list.
Given a few other star players such as Trent Croad and Shannon Grant were both selected before 2000, this has rendered them ineligible for this list.
We have already looked at the top 10 number 1 and number 2 selections since 2000.
After plenty of thought and collaboration, we now take a look at the 10 best players selected with the 3rd selection of every draft since the 2000 draft.
8. Stephen Hill (2008)
Drafted by: Fremantle
Appearances: 218-games
Hill was a Western Australian native who found his way to Fremantle in the 2009 draft. Despite growing up an Eagles supporter, he quickly adapted to his new club spending his entire career with the Dockers.
With averages of 19.2 disposals 2.9 tackles and kicking a goal every second game, Hill was a talented midfielder who occasionally struggled with consistency.
While his best form had the ability to alter matches, the midfielder was also prone to going quiet.
Hill was awarded the AFL Coaches Association best young player in 2010 and also earned placed in the Docker's top 25 players since 1995.
The elder of the Hill brothers saved his best for the 2015 season in which he just missed out on All Australian selection, after being named in the 40-man squad.
Unfortunately, injuries brought an end to Hillโs career with the now 31-year-old missing significant time in 2019-2020. He still managed to play 218-games throughout this period which still stands as the 8th highest of any Docker.
