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Players who well and truly exceeded expectations

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iameviljez said:
Even at the start of 2007, I did not see GAJ coming.

He was basically looking like the 2000s version of Paul Hudson - a good, classy and talented half-forward in his own right, but lacking the edge to really cut it among the absolute elite like his Dad. A highlights player rather than a full-game superstar.

Then a switch flicked and he became - dare I say - better than Dad.
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Yeah 100% he’s the first bloke I think of in this discussion
 
crowman2 said:
Although I’m not a dons fan James Hird at pick 79 was ridiculous
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Yes, but... those early-years-of-the-draft late picks don't really count the same.

Hird was drafted in 1990 when the draft and recruitment was nothing like it is now. Guys like Hird, Grant etc would now never slip to the draft picks they did.
 
5minutes_of_Dew said:
Recent years Hawthorn....

Luke Breust (rookie selection)
James Sicily (pick in the 50's)
Jai Newcombe (MSD to be given no.3 by Matthews and looks likely to have a career worthy of a top 5 pick)
Massimo D'Ambrosio - picked up from Essendon who were only offering him scraps, to then make the AA 40 in his first season with us.
Josh Gibson - Came across as a capable defender and won b & f's in premiership years 2013 and 2015.
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Gibson doesn't count in the context you are describing him.

He was one of North's best players when he moved. Maybe nobody predicted the team success, but he was an excellent player already.

Gibson in the context of being a mature age defender drafted on the rookie list from Port Melbourne out of the VFL and developed by North first, sure.....

Nobody though he would become the player he did at that point.
 

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Look at some of the most dominant ruckman over the last 20 years and a good few came off the rookie list
Dean Cox
Sandilands

and he is probably forgotten a little bit but Sam Jacobs was another one off the rookie list.
 
For my club;

I think of the Jeremy McGovern that got kicked out of training for returning unfit with a career on the rocks to the player he turned out to be.

Dean Cox could barely run laps in his first part at WC then turned out to be one of the best we had pulled on the jumper.

Both rookies who well exceeded expectations.
 
jesterwester said:
For my club;

I think of the Jeremy McGovern that got kicked out of training for returning unfit with a career on the rocks to the player he turned out to be.

Dean Cox could barely run laps in his first part at WC then turned out to be one of the best we had pulled on the jumper.

Both rookies who well exceeded expectations.
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West coast have a history of pulling the diamonds

Kemp
Heady
Cox
Priddis
 
Mike Pyke. In his early days Malthouse (I think) said he would never make a league player but he became a first-class ruckman, won a premiership and in fact in the 2012 GF it was Mumford who got subbed off.
 
Probably Max Gawn if you look at the first five years of his career. He was a no name until that game in 2015 where he put on a clinic against Geelong.
 

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David Mundy. Started as a half back flank whipping boy who many thought was a liability. At 6 foot 3 he became a dominant midfielder with 376 games, easily the most ever by a WA based player.
 
Heath Grundy and Leo Barry were both underperforming forwards early in their careers, but a switch down back saw them rejuvenate their careers into great players for us.

Brett Kirk was pretty much out the door until Roos found a spot for him as a tagger which led to him being probably the best in that type of role for a few years.

Buddy Franklin didn't really show much at the Hawks, but we threw him a 10 year deal lifeline and he managed to thrive in the harbour city,
 
RonnieRaven said:
Reid, I’m not in the loop when it comes to drafting to get him in the late teens with a down graded first rder
He’s got it, he didn’t win the the rising star because he developed quicker than others , stood out in a btm 4 side or won it in his second year.
He won it because he footys very well
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Put your dick away, top 20 pick barely into his career
 
craffles said:
Put your dick away, top 20 pick barely into his career
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Best first year player at freo in the 30 years of my support
Palmer, haselby serong won rising stars but Reid’s timing, awareness and decision making an absolute joy to watch and puts him above the others for early form.
 
5minutes_of_Dew said:
Recent years Hawthorn....

Luke Breust (rookie selection)
James Sicily (pick in the 50's)
Jai Newcombe (MSD to be given no.3 by Matthews and looks likely to have a career worthy of a top 5 pick)
Massimo D'Ambrosio - picked up from Essendon who were only offering him scraps, to then make the AA 40 in his first season with us.
Josh Gibson - Came across as a capable defender and won b & f's in premiership years 2013 and 2015.
Click to expand...

No-one wanted Sam Mitchell in his draft year.
 
HairyO said:
No-one wanted Sam Mitchell in his draft year.
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What Sam Mitchell achieved as a player is incredible given where he had come from. He would be up there as one of the best noms for this thread.
 

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AFDogs said:
Chris Grant was pretty good for a western suburbs boy drafted at pick 105.
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He definetly top 10 unexpected would be interesting to make a list anything over pick 50 and not being taken in the main draft should be the guidelines

The biggest player to be taken for nothing was arguably the best afl player ever

He was sold by Sydney to north

North wanted Longmire for 60k and Sydney threw in Carey to sweeten the deal for 10k

Steel of the century
 
Young Redleg said:
Probably Max Gawn if you look at the first five years of his career. He was a no name until that game in 2015 where he put on a clinic against Geelong.
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He did his knee and had injuries galore the first few years. First year he got a good run at it and he all of a sudden dominates and hasn't looked back since.
 
craffles said:
What Sam Mitchell achieved as a player is incredible given where he had come from. He would be up there as one of the best noms for this thread.
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Coming from the best suburb out there helps. :wink:
 
Partridge said:
He'd be up there.

Others that come to mind (non-Geelong):
  • Dylan Grimes - taken in the pre-season draft. So every club had 4-5 bites and all said no. Astonishing in hindsight.
  • Lachie Neale - taken at pick 58. That's pretty late, and it's not like he was rubbish at Freo, he still won two Best and Fairests there.
  • James Sicily - taken at pick 56. By anyone's measure he's ended up being way better than that.
  • Nathan Broad - taken at pick 67. Perhaps not quite as good as Grimes but a pretty solid defender
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This thread should not be about where a player was picked. It i about how they looked in years 1-3 or so and how their career took off soon after.

On that note Dylan Moore was on delist train and played for his career and the last list spot in 2021 or 22 and was AA in 2024. Was pick 67 too. Still early in his career, so not sure he fits here exactly.

Most KPF's and KPD's who turned out great can be put here but only if they had real struggles in early years and were not a top pick. Top picks come with expectations.

Sicily works because he was picked late and as a fwd and really struggled & seemed to be on short fuse.
 

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Players who well and truly exceeded expectations

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