The argument about the 2001 AFL National Draft raged for years, and some may be very surprised to know that there was a significant period of time when it wasn’t just Chris Judd v Luke Hodge that dominated the debate.
Luke Ball was held in very high regard in his first few years in the league, often slotting in at second on people’s re-drafts until Hodge really hit his stride, and developed as not only a great player, but a great leader.
Even now, there is no consensus. Judd or Hodge? There are strong arguments for either. Judd with two Brownlows and a Norm Smith to his name. He is a premiership captain and one of the best midfielders of his generation. And Hodge, with his four premierships and three as captain. Add to that two Norm Smiths of his own, and you can easily make an argument for him.
As we work our way toward the 2025 season, comparisons amongst those taken in the same draft year are inevitable, but one that is shaping as one of the more interesting subjects in AFL circles stems from the 2018 Draft – a night where four young men were selected within the top 12, each with a claim on being the best young player from that group over the past several years.
Picked at number one was Sam Walsh – a gut runner right from the get-go, he won Blues fans over immediately with his hard work and commitment, but a back injury has a dark cloud hanging over him across the past two seasons, and a hamstring injury early in 2025 threatens to disrupt another season.
Selected at number five, Connor Rozee set the league alight in his first season with his wonderful skills as a small forward, and is now captain of the Port Adelaide Power, as a silky midfielder.
At number seven, Bailey Smith headed to the Western Bulldogs and proceeded to grow not just a filthy mullet, but a game that blossomed before a huge 2021 finals campaign. Since then, injury and other issues have sidelined him.
And at pick 12, Port made the second astute pick, with Zak Butters joining them and having a break-out season in 2020, before going on to have two top-five finishes in the Brownlow in 2023/24.
At the moment, it seems that every season has provided a new spin on how that draft should have played out. Monday’s experts have their say and, at times, it differs from one Monday to the next. Yes, we could add the names of Max and Ben King, as well as Izak Rankine, to the mix as well (picks four, six, and three respectively), but they’re all probably one dominant season away from matching the body of work from the aforementioned quartet.
There have been times when each of these four young men could legitimately lay claim to being the best player from their draft, but who is it now? And who is destined to reign as the best player from what is shaping as the 2018 Super-Draft, when all is said and done?
With six seasons in the books, it is a close race heading into 2025. Let’s make the case for each.
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