The 2009 draft was a blessing or a curse for a number of clubs, as stunning selections and unlucky injuries would soon write as a major theme for many draftees.
A year Demon fans will try to forget for most parts, the club was gifted the first two selections of the crop. After two season their prized No.1 selection had departed and eventually their trusty number two would be plagued with injuries, leaving the club after just 86 games across eight seasons. However, an early third-round selection would soon turn those sour fans.
For many others however, they left draft night not knowing they had found a star they were soon to call their own. Many selections outside of the first round went on to become Brownlow medalists, premiership players and All-Australians - leaving many clubs to wonder "what if?".
Across the entire field, the 17-man first-round shapes very differently when given the chance of a do-over, and that's exactly what we've done.
*Certain player movements were negotiated in this draft (eg. Luke Ball to Collingwood, Matt Maguire to Brisbane), these players who arranged moves were not included in our list.
Let's begin...
Sydney
Pick 6. Ben Cunningtonย
Cunnington slides back one spot in our list despite being one of the only two top five selections.ย The bullish onballer has been a staple in the North Melbourne midfield since making his debut in 2010.
Cunnington holds the record for most contested possessions in a game after collecting 32 against Richmond in 2018 and is seen across the league as one of the toughest of the current era.
The two-time Best and Fairest winner has amassed 53 Brownlow votes across his last seven seasons.
