The 2019 National Draft has already provided a plethora of exciting talent, with many quickly rising to prominence or reaching star-of-the-competition status just a few years into their careers.
As with any AFL draft, there were players taken highly in 2019 whose careers haven't quite panned out to date, however, there are also plenty of later picks who have made meteoric rises to stardom.
For context, these were the original first 18 draft picks in 2019:
- Matt Rowell (Gold Coast Suns).
- Noah Anderson (Gold Coast Suns).
- Luke Jackson (Melbourne).
- Lachlan Ash (GWS Giants).
- Dylan Stephens (Sydney Swans).
- Fischer McAsey (Adelaide Crows).
- Hayden Young (Fremantle).
- Caleb Serong (Fremantle).
- Liam Henry (Fremantle).
- Tom Green (GWS Giants).
- Sam Flanders (Gold Coast Suns).
- Kysaiah Pickett (Melbourne).
- Will Day (Hawthorn).
- Miles Bergman (Port Adelaide).
- Cody Weightman (Western Bulldogs).
- Cooper Stephens (Geelong Cats).
- Brodie Kemp (Carlton).
- Mitchell Georgiades (Port Adelaide).
Note: all matched bids for Academy and Next Generation Academy prospects in this re-draft are based on what we know about how those players' careers have panned out, to date.
So, without further ado, here is the 2019 National Draft, re-done.
18. Geelong Cats: Harrison Jones (Originally: Pick 30, Essendon)
After a failed bid on Brisbane Lions Academy prospect Noah Cumberland at No. 17, the Cats capitalise on great value in the form of Harrison Jones.
While Jones' marks per game were down in 2022 from 2021, he averaged more goals per game this season (1.3, compared to 1.2 in 2021) during what was a worse campaign for his Bombers.
Being mentored on forward craft by the likes of Tom Hawkins isn't a bad way to help grow your career.
