The original top-10 from 2014 is largely a story of unfulfilled potential, with Paddy McCartin (Pick 1), Jarrod Pickett (Pick 4), Caleb Marchbank (Pick 6), Paul Ahern (Pick 7) and Nakia Cockatoo (Pick 10) managing a mere 164 combined games.

McCartin, Marchbank, Ahern and Cockatoo have all had injury-plagued careers, while Pickett struggled with motivation after switching clubs and eventually being released by the Blues. 

On the other hand, Melbourne’s two top-three selections in 2014 (Christian Petracca and Angus Brayshaw) have panned out splendidly, with both recently becoming premiership players and Petracca’s arguable status as a top-five player in the competition. 

We take a look at that draft seven years on and re-select what we feel is the top-10 from 2014. 

Original top 10 of the 2014 National Draft:

  1. Paddy McCartin (St Kilda)
  2. Christian Petracca (Melbourne)
  3. Angus Brayshaw (Melbourne)
  4. Jarrod Pickett (GWS)
  5. Jordan De Goey (Collingwood)
  6. Caleb Marchbank (GWS)
  7. Paul Ahern (GWS)
  8. Peter Wright (Gold Coast Suns)
  9. Darcy Moore (Collingwood)
  10. Nakia Cockatoo (Geelong)
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1. Christian Petracca

(Originally: Pick 2, Melbourne)

Petracca, up one spot to the hallowed No. 1 selection in our re-draft, had a relatively slow start to his Demons career, but since the end of 2019 has ascended into one of the premier midfielders in the competition alongside the likes of Dustin Martin, Marcus Bontempelli and Nat Fyfe. 

The 25-year-old averaged 29.2 disposals, five marks and four tackles per game in 2021, ranking first in the AFL in inside 50s per game and total score involvements. 

CHRISTIAN PETRACCA
Midfielder
Melbourne
2021 SEASON AVG
29.2
Disposals
4.1
Tackles
6.4
Clearances

Petracca’s thoroughly dominant 2021 campaign was an enormous reason why his Demons went on to defeat the Bulldogs in this year’s Grand Final, with the young bull looking more and more likely to go on and have a legendary career in the red and the blue. 

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