Players who well and truly exceeded expectations

[LukeParkerno1]

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.

Yeah 100% he’s the first bloke I think of in this discussion

 

[iameviljez]

Although I’m not a dons fan James Hird at pick 79 was ridiculous

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.

 

[Sphynx]

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.

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.

 

[Big John Studd]

• Ted Richards
• Jobe
• Rance
• Grimes
• J Mcgovern

 

[blueboy25]

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

Dean Cox

Age

44

Ht

203cm

Wt

107kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.9

4star

K

8.9

3star

HB

6.9

4star

M

5.3

5star

T

1.5

3star

G

0.6

4star

No current season stats available

D

13.0

4star

K

5.8

3star

HB

7.2

5star

M

4.8

5star

T

1.4

4star

G

0.0

1star

Sandilands

and he is probably forgotten a little bit but Sam Jacobs

10

Sam Jacobs

Age

37

Ht

200cm

Wt

102kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.3

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

6.1

4star

CL

2.3

4star

HO

32.8

5star

D

6.5

1star

K

4.3

2star

HB

2.3

2star

CL

3.3

4star

HO

27.5

5star

D

8.0

2star

K

2.0

1star

HB

6.0

4star

CL

1.0

3star

HO

15.0

5star

was another one off the rookie list.

 

[jesterwester]

For my club;

I think of the Jeremy McGovern

20

Jeremy Mcgovern

Age

33

Ht

197cm

Wt

97kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.7

4star

K

10.1

4star

HB

4.6

3star

M

6.8

5star

T

1.5

3star

MG

238.7

4star

D

12.4

3star

K

8.6

3star

HB

3.8

3star

M

6.4

5star

T

2.0

3star

MG

183.4

3star

D

11.0

3star

K

8.8

4star

HB

2.2

2star

M

7.2

5star

T

1.4

4star

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

Dean Cox

Age

44

Ht

203cm

Wt

107kg

Pos.

F/R

Career

Season

Last 5

D

15.9

4star

K

8.9

3star

HB

6.9

4star

M

5.3

5star

T

1.5

3star

G

0.6

4star

No current season stats available

D

13.0

4star

K

5.8

3star

HB

7.2

5star

M

4.8

5star

T

1.4

4star

G

0.0

1star

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.

 

[crowman2]

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.

West coast have a history of pulling the diamonds

Kemp
Heady
Cox
Priddis

 

[crowman2]

He's the 3rd person I thought of, though had good bloodlines.

The 4th? Chris Grant.

Nick Maxwell out of the main draft would have to be one of your best pick ups

 

[RonnieRaven]

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

 

[Big Blood]

Mike Pyke

Mike Pyke

Age

41

Ht

201cm

Wt

104kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.1

2star

K

3.7

1star

HB

5.4

4star

CL

1.8

4star

HO

21.7

5star

No current season stats available

D

7.2

2star

K

1.4

1star

HB

5.8

4star

HO

11.6

5star

. 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.

 

[MarcusP2]

Harris Andrews was pick 61 so I'm assuming he wasn't rated in his draft year. Now arguably the MVP in a back 2 back premiership team.

He was an Academy pick, North tried to get him in the 2nd round if I recall.

 

[Young Redleg]

Probably Max Gawn

11

Max Gawn

Age

34

Ht

209cm

Wt

110kg

Pos.

Ruck

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.1

4star

K

7.4

3star

HB

6.7

4star

CL

2.8

4star

HO

35.3

5star

D

18.5

4star

K

11.5

4star

HB

7.0

4star

CL

3.5

4star

HO

29.2

5star

D

8.4

3star

K

3.6

2star

HB

4.8

4star

CL

1.0

3star

HO

15.6

5star

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.

 

[tugga]

Cameron Ling

 

[Piggy Smalls]

David Mundy

16

David Mundy

Age

40

Ht

192cm

Wt

92kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

23.1

5star

K

11.2

4star

HB

11.8

5star

M

3.6

4star

T

4.3

5star

CL

5.1

5star

D

15.7

4star

K

6.7

3star

HB

9.0

4star

M

2.3

2star

T

2.7

4star

CL

3.7

5star

D

27.8

5star

K

15.4

5star

HB

12.4

5star

M

5.8

5star

T

6.2

5star

CL

7.2

5star

. 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.

 

[Ed_Gein]

Heath Grundy

Heath Grundy

Age

39

Ht

192cm

Wt

105kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

16.6

4star

K

9.4

4star

HB

7.2

4star

M

5.2

5star

T

1.6

4star

MG

231.9

4star

No current season stats available

D

8.2

2star

K

6.4

3star

HB

1.8

2star

M

3.8

4star

T

0.8

3star

and Leo Barry

Leo Barry

Age

48

Ht

184cm

Wt

89kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

12.8

3star

K

7.2

3star

HB

5.6

4star

M

5.0

5star

T

1.6

4star

No current season stats available

D

4.4

1star

K

2.6

1star

HB

1.8

2star

M

0.8

1star

T

1.2

3star

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

Brett Kirk

Age

49

Ht

184cm

Wt

80kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.5

5star

K

8.9

3star

HB

9.6

5star

M

2.7

3star

T

5.3

5star

CL

2.4

4star

No current season stats available

D

16.8

4star

K

13.0

5star

HB

3.8

3star

M

3.6

4star

T

2.2

4star

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,

 

[craffles]

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

Put your dick away, top 20 pick barely into his career

 

[RonnieRaven]

Put your dick away, top 20 pick barely into his career

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.

 

[HairyO]

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.

No-one wanted Sam Mitchell in his draft year.

 

[craffles]

No-one wanted Sam Mitchell in his draft year.

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.

 

[AFDogs]

Chris Grant was pretty good for a western suburbs boy drafted at pick 105.

 

[crowman2]

Chris Grant was pretty good for a western suburbs boy drafted at pick 105.

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

 

[AlwaysHawks15]

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.

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.

 

[kreuze_missile]

This will sound weird but as a cats fan surely it's GAJ.

Agree 100%.

Fact is he was picked on name only, and he was not a great junior footballer.

Handy basketballer though.

 

[RedmanWasHere]

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.

Coming from the best suburb out there helps.

 

[hawkinoz]

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

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.