We've scattered back through each National Draft of the past decade to uncover every club's bargain pickup.
This list looks at each club's ability to recruit young prospects in the National Draft, whether it be top-end talents or diamonds in the rough.
Each player was selected primarily by their value for pick, with many players being taken outside the first round. Some players have demanded a spot despite an early draft night selection, however these picks have been reserved for the absolute cream of the crop.
This list only includes National Draft selections - excluding Rookie and/or Mini Draft picks, while father-son and Academy selections have also not been considered.ย
11. Melbourne
Clayton Oliver (pick 4, 2015)
Clayton Oliver is the first top-five selection on this list, but has demanded a spot after producing one of the most stellar starts to an AFL career in recent memory.
The stats are simply absurd.
He has been the league's best statistical clearance and stoppage player since 2018 and has ranked first in contested possessions three times. He has averaged more than 29 disposals every season since his second year while playing at least 22 games in each (excluding 2020).
Already an established superstar before the 2021 season, Oliver's last two seasons were historically rare. In a two-year period he earned a premiership, two Coaches Association Champion Player of the Year awards, two All-Australian blazers and two club best & fairests while collecting the most recorded contested possessions in a single season in 2021.
Astonishingly, Oliver will enter the 2023 season at just 25 years old and is primed to further add to his legacy in an exciting Melbourne tenure.
Honourable mention/s: Jack Viney*, pick 26 (2012), Christian Petracca, pick 2 (2014)
