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.
3. Alan Didak (2000)
Drafted by: Collingwood
Appearances: 218-games
Didak was a South Australian player who played for Port Adelaide in the SANFL. In the 2000 draft, he was taken by the Collingwood Football Club where he continued his career in a black and white guernsey.
The small-forward was a talented player who was accurate in front of goal and damaging whether he was up forward or in the midfield. He averaged 1.3 goals a game, while also gathering 16.6 disposals, 3.4 inside 50s and 4.1 marks. 2006 was a breakout season for Didak, with the dead-eye winning the club B&F and obtaining his first All-Australian selection.
Didak was a club legend, having many highlights and routinely playing well in big matches. He was an important leader in the 2010 premiership-winning season, getting selected for one of his two All-Australian teams. He ended his career as one of the most exciting and best small forwards, often being compared with another club legend inPeter Daicos.
