This was the hardest AFL re-draft we’ve done yet. One Tiger was stiff to miss the top threeJune 2, 2020
David Zita
FOX SPORTSIronically, in a top five stacked with premiership heroes, it’s the player who is yet to win one that comes out on top.
He did it by the skin of his teeth.
THE 2007 AFL RE-DRAFT1. PATRICK DANGERFIELD (WAS Pick No. 10 for Adelaide)
2. ALEX RANCE (WAS Pick No. 18 for Richmond)Once things clicked for Rance, he never looked back. From 2014 through to 2018, Rance didn’t miss the All-Australian team once. In 2015, Rance would win the club’s best and fairest award, before placing second in both 2016 and Richmond’s drought-breaking premiership year of 2017. Rance’s performance in the Grand Final was phenomenal, holding the Crows at bay before Richmond eventually swung momentum its way. He placed third in the Norm Smith Medal race. The reason his resumé may not look as good compared to others’ in a decade’s time is of Rance’s own doing, retiring at the end of 2019 to “prioritise the more important things” in his life.
3. CYRIL RIOLI (WAS Pick No. 12 for Hawthorn)
4. TRENT COTCHIN (WAS Pick No. 2 for Richmond)
Tough call here as he could’ve easily been higher on this list. Went from an at-times maligned player in his early years to a two-time premiership captain and one of the driving forces of Richmond’s remarkable resurgence. Shares the 2012 Brownlow Medal with Sam Mitchell and is a three-time best and fairest for the Tigers. He was an All-Australian in 2012 and deemed the AFL Players’ Association’s best captain in 2018. His hard-nosed attack on the footy was a template adopted by the rest of the side as he led them to their 2017 and 2019 premierships. His body failed him at times throughout 2019 but at 30 years of age he should have some good footy left in him yet.
5. HARRY TAYLOR (WAS Pick No. 17 for Geelong)
6. CALLAN WARD (WAS Pick No. 19 for Western Bulldogs)
7. JACK STEVEN (WAS Pick No. 42 for St Kilda)
8. TAYLOR WALKER (WAS New South Wales Scholarship Pick No. 75)
9. EASTON WOOD (WAS Pick No. 43 for Western Bulldogs)
10. MATTHEW KREUZER (WAS Pick No. 1 for Carlton)
ORIGINAL 2007 AFL DRAFT1. Matthew Kreuzer (has played 189 games for Carlton)
2. Trent Cotchin (has played 235 games for Richmond)
3. Chris Masten (played 215 games for West Coast)
4. Cale Morton (played 76 games across two clubs)
5. Jarrad Grant (played 95 games across two clubs)
6. David Myers (played 122 games for Essendon)
7. Rhys Palmer (played 123 games across three clubs)
8. Lachie Henderson (has played 171 games across three clubs)
9. Ben McEvoy (has played 207 games across two clubs)
10. Patrick Dangerfield (has played 249 games across two clubs)
https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/this-was-the-hardest-afl-redraft-weve-done-yet-a-tiger-was-stiff-to-miss-the-top-three/news-story/2c910ae50b38b8cacfc871126c0ea857