2004 Retro-Phantom Draft

[footyfan1978]

Had a go at a series of 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.

Probably at a stretch to do many more years beyond mid 2000's as more and more players still running around in present day league that makes it harder to judge with some careers still playing out.

For a retro draft of 2004 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 1986 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 2004 but it does mean that under current AFL conditions since 2009 all the eligible types that turned 18 in that year of 2004 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 2004 retro-draft and search the polls below of previous years.

This retro draft of players born in 1986 for a retro-draft of 2004 looks a bit short on elite midfielders but quite strong on some small forwards and tall options around the ground and ruck. Betts as his career has gone on continues to rise in rating and probably a chance of being number 1 here in hindsight despite overlooked in national drafts as a teenager but was oddly taken in the pre-season draft by Carlton before the rookie draft could start.

Here is the retrospective draft pool of 18 year olds in year 2004:


1986 Born players (retrospective 2004 Draft)
Brabazon, Ryan
Armfield, Dennis
McCauley, Broc
Hughes, Danny
Betts, Eddie
Rosa, Matt
Martin, Stefan
Hunt, Karmichael
Lumumba, Heritier
Blackwell, Luke
Russell, Jordan
Miles, Luke
Egan, Chris
Bailey, Max
Rusling, Sean
Westhoff, Justin
Moran, Brad
Broughton, Greg
Smith, Jesse
Knights, Chris
Tambling, Richard
Hams, Ashton
Begley, Colm
LeCras, Mark
Dwyer, Sam
Thomson, Adam
Cockshell, Adam
Gilbert, Sam
Gwilt, James
Polo, Dean
Meyer, Danny
Picken, Liam
Griffen, Ryan
Hamill, Will
Baird, Travis
Williams, Tom
Prismall, Brent
Mumford, Shane
Lee, Andrew
McConnell, Daniel
Meesen, John
Harding, Scott
Taylor, Harry
Jamison, Michael
McQualter, Andrew
van Berlo, Nathan
Hinge, John
McMahon, Scott
Grundy, Heath
Gibson, Sam
Allan, Marcus
Walker, Andrew
Thompson, Scott
Stiller, Cheynee
Stanton, Brent
Jackson, Daniel
Lewis, Jordan
Hartlett, Adam
Thursfield, Will
Pearce, Danyle
Waters, Beau
Ezard, James
Ray, Farren
Maister, Beau
Murphy, Tom
Schmidt, Tim
McLean, Brock
Raines, Andrew
Cox, Shannon
Moore, Jarred
Smith, Josh
Pattison, Adam
Trotter, David
Roberts, Relton
Mzungu, Tendai
Attard, Jayden
Chaplin, Troy
Dawson, Zac
Young, Clinton
Jolley, Ben
Spaanderman, Llane
Davies, Ben
Johnson, Chris
Slattery, Henry
Twomey, Wayde
Iacobucci, Adam
Griffin, Jonathon
Butler, Sam
Rischitelli, Michael
Hall, Brent
Maric, Ivan
Little, Matthew


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
2003 retro-draft

 

[footyfan1978]

Poor draft pool when Jordan Lewis could be a number 1.
FMD.

 

[Brentmeister]

"Should of" <shudders>

 

[Procrastinator35]

A bit silly & inaccurate given players born prior to April 30 1987 were still able to be drafted back then.

So Buddy would quite clearly be number 1, with Roughead at 2.

 

[footyfan1978]

A bit silly & inaccurate given players born prior to April 30 1987 were still able to be drafted back then.

You clearly jumped in without reading what this is about.
What dates were used in draft then is exactly why I am doing a retrospective look of what the drafts pools would be if they had been done as they have been done since 2009.

 

[footyfan1978]

Three horse race. Will they run him down in the straight ?

 

[footyfan1978]

Very surprising result.