2003 Retro-Phantom Draft

[footyfan1978]

Had a go at a series retro drafts to cover most of the eras of football I have watched from before drafts even began. I started watching from 1978 so started back at players turning 18 in 1975 with the assumption by the time I was watching the majority of them were playing senior footy if any good.
I wondered the quality of players that can be found retrospectively, as if drafts were done the same as they've been done since 2009, which is to have no players younger than 18 at end of that year able to be drafted.

Got up to 2002 retro draft last year and time to look at a few more.

For a retro draft of 2003 most of the players careers here are finished or close enough to completed to judge their worth fairly against players born in same year.

This one is a look back at players born in 1985 that at least played one game at AFL level.
It does not mean they were part of the draft pool in the year of actual 2003 but it does mean that under current AFL conditions since 2009 all the eligible types that turned 18 in that year of 2003 are included if they made their debut at some point.

Most of us would have watched football from this period, so feel free to add your own thoughts on players you felt would have been number 1 in the 2003 retro-draft and search the polls below of previous years.

This retro draft of players born in 1985 for a retro-draft of 2003 looks a little light on to me compared to quite a few others. Hard to find super star talls here but plenty of midfielders and flanker types to pick from in such a draft pool.

Here is the retrospective draft pool of 18 year olds in year 2003:


1985 Born players (retrospective 2003 Draft)
Naish, Jay
Ablett, Nathan
Shaw, Heath
Adcock, Jed
Bradley, Kepler
Sylvia, Colin
Moles, Brodie
Dunn, Ryley
Vince, Bernie
Cooney, Adam
Dyson, Ricky
Clarke, Raphael
Moody, Matthew
Watts, Fergus
Blake, Mark
Foley, Nathan
Davenport, Jason
Roach, Tom
Foster, Andrew
Surjan, Jacob
McGlynn, Ben
Grima, Nathan
Kayler-Thomson, Jarrod
Mundy, David
Tenace, Kane
Logan, Tom
Schammer, Byron
Salopek, Steven
Perry, Joel
Bentick, Adam
Cartledge, Tristan
Miller, Harry
Cartledge, Tristan
Thurgood, Josh
Rowe, Julian
Murphy, Ryan
Goddard, Brendon
Walsh, Tim
Schulz, Jay
Bell, Daniel
Minson, Will
Hartigan, Brent
McVeigh, Jarrad
Wight, Cameron
Priddis, Matt
Pettigrew, Michael
Symes, Brad
Brennan, Luke
Atkinson, Jarrod
Watson, Jobe
Duffield, Paul
Wells, Daniel
King, David
Silvester, Jarrod
Howat, Cameron
Campbell, Adam
Spencer, Matthew
Ryswyk, Leigh
Pask, Martin


Previous Retro-Draft Polls
1975 retro-draft
1976 retro-draft
1977 retro-draft
1978 retro-draft
1979 retro-draft
1980 retro-draft
1981 retro-draft
1982 retro-draft
1983 retro-draft
1984 retro-draft
1985 retro-draft
1986 retro-draft
1987 retro-draft
1988 retro-draft
1989 retro-draft
1990 retro-draft
1991 retro-draft
1992 retro-draft
1993 retro-draft
1994 retro-draft
1995 retro-draft
1996 retro-draft
1997 retro-draft
1998 retro-draft
1999 retro-draft
2000 retro-draft
2001 retro-draft
2002 retro-draft

 

[Sweet Jesus]

Can't wait to see who gets the prestigious title.

Brad Symes for mine. Really enjoyed his work in The Munsters.

 

[james Dean]

Goddard... Why are so many people voting Priddis?

 

[footyfan1978]

Goddard... Why are so many people voting Priddis?

Won a Brownlow, it is a poll, only a small sample so far of votes. If Wells was ever not injured he might have got votes too.
I probably could have added Bell as an option too but overlooked at first when I set it up.

 

[footyfan1978]

Mundy leading, incredible.

 

[Thetrader15]

Wells the most talented IMO from this list closely followed by BJ.

 

[footyfan1978]

Wells the most talented IMO from this list closely followed by BJ.

Tend to agree.
Shame we not seen Wells have much continuity with his football career to see him at his very best.
Ironically for me as a Carlton fan, at one point thought they were both certain to be Carlton players. :-(

 

[adammania9]

Tough one this

I say:
1. David Mundy
2. Brendon Goddard
3. Jarrod McVeigh
4. Heath Shaw
5. Daniel Wells
6. Matt Priddis
7. Adam Cooney
8. Jobe Watson - hit his peak during the saga, just can't give much to him
9. Jay Schulz
10. Ben McGlynn
11. Bernie Vince
12. Jed Adcock
13. Colin Sylvia
14. Paul Duffield
15. Nathan Foley

 

[footyfan1978]

Tough one this

I say:
1. David Mundy
2. Brendon Goddard
3. Jarrod McVeigh
4. Heath Shaw
5. Daniel Wells
6. Matt Priddis
7. Adam Cooney
8. Jobe Watson - hit his peak during the saga, just can't give much to him
9. Jay Schulz
10. Ben McGlynn
11. Bernie Vince
12. Jed Adcock
13. Colin Sylvia
14. Paul Duffield
15. Nathan Foley

I'd have Bell and Foley before Schulz if I attempted to do top 15 in order.
Shame injuries to Foley cut short his career reaching the heights it should have.

 

[footyfan1978]

Looks a two horse race between Goddard and Mundy.
Bit surprised myself. I must not appreciate Mundy's work to not see this coming.