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.
1. Gold Coast Suns: Chad Warner (Originally: Pick 39, Sydney Swans)
Warner, already a bonafide star of the competition just three seasons removed from his draft year, is a massive riser in our re-draft, coming in at No. 1 overall where the Suns take him and considerably boost their midfield stocks.
Having originally taken Matt Rowell at No. 1, we believe Warner is slightly more along in his development as an AFL midfielder, thriving among a talented young Swans outfit.
An electric ball-carrier exiting stoppages, Warner averaged 22.8 disposals, 3.3 marks, 4.0 tackles, 5.6 inside-50s, and 4.0 clearances per game in 2022, while ranking sixth in the competition in total score involvements, total metres gained, inside-50s per game, and goal assists per game.
