Over the next few weeks ContestedFooty will be looking at every draft since the year 2000 and redoing the top 5 picks with the benefit of hindsight. This week we’re looking at the year 2000.
See the full list of the 2000 AFL Draft here.
We’d love to see your own selections in the comments section.
ContestedFooty’s Retrospective Top 5
Pick 1- Nick Riewoldt (Originally selected #1)
There is little doubt that Nick Riewoldt has been one of the best players in the AFL over the last decade. Riewoldt is St Kilda’s Captain a five time Best and Fairest winner and a four time All Australian representative.
Pick 2- Daniel Kerr (Originally selected #18)
The 200+ game midfielder from West Coast was highly regarded from day one, in his debut year he won the Rising Star award and the accomplishments didn’t end their. Kerr’s full resume includes a Premiership Medal, two best and fairest awards and selection in the 2007 All Australian team. Seriously underrated by many of us in Victoria.
Pick 3- Drew Petrie (Originally selected #23)
Good ruckmen come forwards are hard to come by and Drew Petrie is a 200+ game player who has won a Best and Fairest, Lead the goal kicking for his club twice and selected in the All Australian team. There are 15 other clubs who wish they had picked him before North Melbourne swooped in with pick 23.
Pick 4- Alan Didak (Originally selected #3)
Didak has had an up and down career at times but no one can doubt what he has achieved in the game is impressive. Didak is a premiership player, Best and Fairest winner, two time All Australian and lead his teams goal kicking in their Premiership year.
Pick 5- Josh Hunt (Originally selected #44)
It may seem strange having a back pocket player in the top 5 selections of this draft but Hunt has had a career most footballers dream of. Hunt has played in two Premierships and was seen as an integral part of arguably the most dominant side of the last decade.
Tags: 2000 AFL Draft, Alan Didak, Daniel Kerr, Drew Petrie, Josh Hunt, Nick Riewoldt
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Buchanan was a good Swans pick, went on to play in 2005 Grand Final
You rate Hunt for his career – but if you look at players who trade out of good teams for poor teams – very few mid tier players look as good playing for a poorer team. I think Hunt falls into that category and in some ways has ridden on the coat tails of being in a great team.
Additionally – if you’re rating a draft – surely it’s talent, not how many premierships a player has been part of?
Someone like Chris Newman would be held in far higher regard if we was a member of the Geelong team, and so should be rated higher than someone like hunt.
All valid points, as a St Kilda supporter I found it annoying putting Hunt in my top 5, I seriously considered replacing him with Burgoyne but Hunt imo was and is quite important to Geelong. His ability to play tall or small and use his long kicking to set up attacks is very underrated.
I’d encourage everyone to have a go at making a top 5 themselves- its a nice challenge. Hopefully you like my 2001 top 5 more next Sunday.
1. Riewoldt
2. Petrie
3. Scott Thompson
4. Kerr
5. Newman
1. Riewoldt
2. Kerr
3. Cornes
4. Petrie
5. Throw a blanket over Newman, Thompson, Burgoyne, Cassisi.
I think people are disregarding Cornes – he was a dynamo during Ports glory days. Petrie is hard to rate – possibly too many ups and downs, plus plays for a low profile team. Thompson & Cassisi are more in the late improver group…..