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.
7. Adelaide Crows: Matt Rowell (Originally: Pick 1, Gold Coast Suns)
The Crows initially went key-position with Fischer McAsey, but selecting a Mitch Georgiades-type this high didn't feel quite right. Therefore, Adelaide bolsters its struggling midfield group by capitalising on value and selecting Matt Rowell, who slides six spots, in our re-draft.
While, to this point, Rowell has left a bit to be desired in terms of disposal efficiency, he makes up for it with his tackle pressure, hardness, and overall grunt at the contest, providing the Crows' midfield with some much-needed toughness.
