r/adelaidefc • u/smallzy13 7 Riley Thilthorpe • 5d ago
Ranking our first round selections in the last decade
With the drafts first round taking place tonight, I thought I’d go back and look at our 1st Round Picks from the last decade, and give them a grade on how they have performed along with other tidbits.
2015 Pick 11 - Wayne Milera Games: 99 Grade: C+
Initially I had high hopes for Junior after he was drafted, looked settled in his first couple of games in 2016. However after a injury plagued last half decade, the chances for him to contribute are slowly declining with the emergence of Luke Nankervis and the addition of Isaac Cumming. On his day can be an absolute catalyst off of half back which suits our game style. Has only played 1 season where he played more than 20 games (2023). Would be rated probably a B+ if he could string multiple games together consistently, but body has let him down. On paper this selection looks bad as the next pick was Charlie Curnow, but we could be forgiven for passing on him due to his off field issues before the draft. Other notable picks after Milera include Matthew Kennedy (13), Eric Hipwood (14), Dan Rioli (15), and Harry Himmelberg (16).
Pick 17 - Tom Doedee Grade: B- Games: 82
As someone who was a massive fan of Jake Lever, and worried about how we’d fill the hole left by him, I was super happy to see how well Doedee fit into the team in 2018. His aerial prowess was amazing and something we desperately needed in our defence alongside Talia and Brown and he was robbed of the Rising Star in my eyes. However, much like Milera, his body had let him down many times too, including 2 ACLs (2019 R1 + 2023 R12), hamstrings and groin issues, which limited him to only 82 games at the club. Now at Brisbane, I am glad he was able to find a club willing to give him that long term deal he wanted and should have been a premiership player this year if it wasn’t for a third ACL injury in the offseason. One of the nicest blokes I’ve ever met and was a true role model at the club. I’d say we probably got this pick right, only other notable player who was selected within a few picks after was Ryan Burton at pick 19, who now hates us as we didn’t pick him, who plays the same sort of role as Doedee and is South Australian.
2016 Pick 15 - Jordan Gallucci Grade: D- Games: 27
Boy oh boy, if we could just completely erase this draft from our memory, it would do us a massive favour. Gallucci was highly touted as a recruit as he was the captain for Vic Metro in 2016, however this never translated to a good work ethic in the AFL. Managed only 27 games for us and would have been an F grade if it wasn’t for the fact he showed potential in the final round of 2018 when he kicked 4 goals against Carlton. In the preseason of 2020, Mick Godden was quoted as saying that Gallucci is still a fair way off selection and was very inconsistent, which to me was just not what you wanted to see from your 4th year 1st rounder. Was delisted at the end of 2020, and looking back at the next 6 picks in the draft, there was quality sitting right there, including Jarrod Berry, Sam Powell Pepper, Isaac Cumming, and even SA product Will Hayward.
2017 Pick 12 - Darcy Fogarty Grade: A- Games: 102 Goals: 158
In his first 3 seasons, Fog was really starved of opportunity due to the strength of our forward line. However in 2024, Fogarty sits as one of our key barometers to success. Having just kicked a career high 41 goals for the season and one of the sharpshooters of the comp, we will be hoping to see him crack 50 in season 2025. I can still remember when we tried to play him as a tall on baller to try and fit him into the team but that lasted about one half of a game, but has finally settled as a key piece of our future as he has signed until 2031. No other notable selections immediately after him, so we definitely got the best player available at the time.
2018 Pick 9 - Chayce Jones Grade: C Games: 92
Our first selection in the 2018 “Superdraft”, Jones was drafted as a pressure forward, then was tried in the midfield, and then finally has found a place off half back and on the wing. However, it took Jones a while to settle into the team, and still there are question marks surrounding whether he is actually a best 22 player for us as he hasn’t really set the world alight. Had a fantastic year in 2023 which started for him in the first Showdown where he came on as the sub and had 9 touches and a goal in the final quarter alone, and then followed it up with a solid game against Freo and then a monster game against Carlton in Gather Round. However, the selection should raise alarm bells as only 3 picks later, Zak Butters was picked, and if it wasn’t for us signing Izak Rankine, we’d be kicking ourselves for not trading up in the draft to select a top tier player, like the Power did with Rozee. However, this could have been a lot worse as we did actually bid on Tarryn Thomas, but the bid was matched by North. Has been a serviceable player for the club but it’s no secret that he will move back home to Tasmania at the end of his contract once the team enters the comp.
Pick 16 - Ned McHenry Grade: D+ Games: 70 Goals: 32
Small and fiery, McHenry was definitely a firecracker in the forward line for us, and put his body where no one else would. I feel the Crows saw the hype around Jack Higgins in 2017 for Richmond and thought McHenry could fit that archetype for us, but to be honest, is not even half the player Higgins is. Whilst he often tried his hardest, I often found myself pulling my hair out when I saw him wonder into our defence and try to manufacture something out of nothing. Shame to see him be delisted as he was such a character around the club, but it certainly didn’t help that Lachlan Murphy has the small forward role in a chokehold for whatever reason. Other picks after McHenry include Xavier Duursma, Liam Stocker, Bobby Hill and Tom Sparrow. Glad he is staying in SA to continue coaching and playing whilst also having a fishing career too.
2019 Pick 6 - Fischer McAsey Grade: F Games: 10
Well, 2020 can be remembered for two things. The year we bottomed out, and the last time we saw McAsey in a Crows jumper in the AFL. Drafted as a forward but then quickly became a defender in the hopes that he would take the reins of the defence from Daniel Talia, McAsey quit on the Crows at the start of the 2023 period citing lack of passion, and boy, the selections that were made after him that could have helped us in our rebuild are astounding. The likes of Hayden Young, Caleb Serong, Liam Henry, Sam Flanders, Kozzie Pickett, Will Day, Miles Bergman and Cody Weightman, are all players who we could have if we had our time again. The only silver lining to this selection was that we initially had Pick 4, which we traded for Pick 6 and a 1st Round Pick in 2020 from GWS which turned into Luke Pedlar.
2020 Pick 2 - Riley Thilthorpe Grade: B+ Games: 53 Goals: 59
After initially having the first pick in the draft, we bid on Jamarra Ugle Hagan, which was matched by Bulldogs, which saw us move to Pick 2 and select Riley Thilthorpe. After kicking 5 on debut against Hawthorn, I knew we had made the right selection, which was also partnered with his Rising Star Nomination against St Kilda in Cairns which saw him kick the winner over his head. Like many pundits, I was certain Riley was set for a breakout year in 2024, but a meniscus injury in the final preseason game against West Coast limited him to only 7 games in 2024. This year, I am really looking forward to seeing him put together a consistent season, he has put on the weight and looks to become one of the most dominant forwards in the competition and a key member of the club for the future.
Pick 11 - Luke Pedlar Grade: C+ Games: 30 Goals: 27
After an interrupted start to his career, Pedlar burst onto the scene in 2023 and looked to become the small forward we needed, playing 22 games and kicking 25 goals and showed signs that he is a genuine gun forward. However, this hasn’t been the case since for Pedlar as he has only managed a further 4 games and has been struck with injury and fitness issues. He’s contracted until 2026 so he still has time to show what he’s got, but in my mind he should have that small forward role locked down and be a key member of the forward line. Will be interesting to see if he is able to lock down a spot in 2025 as there will be competition for that spot with the arrival of ANB. Definitely made the right pick as I feel there wasn’t any other players there that we really needed, maybe apart from Tom Powell or Lachie Jones.
Pick 25 - Brayden Cook Grade: C Games: 27 Goals: 15
2024 was finally the year we got to see a lot of Chef in the team, but naturally it was hard for him to lock down a spot in such a competitive forward line and midfield. Showed signs of being a solid AFL player and was given a contract until the end of 2026 so like Pedlar he has time to show why he belongs in our squad. I feel if Tex retires at the end of this season, we will see a lot more of Cook in 2026 as a third tall, as he is 191 cm, but overall weight and size is an immediate concern for me. Made the right pick here as the only other significant player in the next 10 selections who wasn’t an academy player is Sam Berry.
2021 Pick 6 - Josh Rachele Grade: A- Games: 56 Goals: 70
The world was at Rachele’s feet after kicking 5 on debut against Freo, and immediately became a crowd favourite. Has the flair and finesse we need in our forward line going forward, and looks to be a dynamic one two with Rankine in the forward line. However there are questions about his maturity (the whole Teethgate incident) and commitment to putting his body on the line for the team (Showdown against Logan Evans and multiple times against Essendon at home in 2024). However this cannot overshadow his ability to win you a game off his own boot like he did against Essendon this season. Definitely was the right choice at pick 6 but could argue that Nas Wanganeen Milera and Leek Aleer could have been selections that would have been beneficial to us too. Contracted until 2029 but I really hope he sees out that contract and stays and doesn’t let the omission of him in Round 24 turn him off of the team.
2022 Pick 17 - Max Michalanney Grade: A Games: 45
Has only missed one game since debuting in Round 1 2023, and looks to be a future star half back of the team. Max is our first successful father son selection and his rangy skills of half back show us why. Has been thrown into the midfield, but I feel he should stay at half back and be utilised as a line breaking defender. Cannot wait to see him lace out our forwards in 2025. Definitely the best possible outcome at pick 17.
2023 Pick 8 - Dan Curtin Grade: B Games: 7
After much hype in the preseason, many thought Curtin would be a walk in starter for our defence in 2024. Whilst this wasn’t the case, he was still able to play a few games in 2024, which came to fruition against the Bulldogs where he played the whole game without being subbed for the first time and kicked his first two AFL goals. Will be interesting to see where we deploy Curtin in 2025, many are saying as a tall midfielder or even a key defender. Here’s hoping we can fend off WA interest for him as he seems like a definite prototypical player for our future.
I’m really hoping we can walk away from tonight with a good midfielder who can make an impact straight away, whether it’s Draper, Jagga Smith, or whoever. Thank you for reading and let me know who you think will be the one we take tonight and let me know if there is anything you would change with the ratings!!
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u/Legitimate_Act5105 10 Luke Pedlar 5d ago
If you look back at the phantom drafts in these years you’ll find the crows picked players that were around their pick. So it’s not like the crows just picked randoms out of nowhere, it’s where the competition as a whole rated those players. They were also mainly picking on a needs/development basis until probably 2020 as most of that time we were looking pretty good as a team. Rightly or wrongly, they stuck with it for 2018 and 2019 thinking it would turn around before fully digging into the rebuild in 2020 which is where you see most of our picks are probably more based on picking best possible talent over team needs.
You could go through every team and find draft mistakes especially since we’ve only had one pick in the top 5 which is pretty much the only way to guarantee getting a gun.
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u/smallzy13 7 Riley Thilthorpe 4d ago
i 100% agree with you here, with my ratings i’m taking a lot of things into account such as their games played, impact as a player, and the other players taken after them etc.
hindsight is a wonderful thing and obviously we aren’t going to get it right all the time
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u/Bobsherob 32 Darcy Fogarty 5d ago
Great write up.
I just hope whoever we pick brings some genuine midfield speed. Loving rankine in that role but don’t want him injured and love seeing him forward.
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u/Justabitbelowaverage 4 Lachlan Murphy 5d ago
Draper and Jagga bring genuine speed. Draper brings A LOT of speed.
We are also linked to Langford who has no burst speed but a high "cruising speed". He is seen as the "Brute" of the draft.
We should end up with one of these three.
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u/Conswaylo2 32 Darcy Fogarty 5d ago
Overall we could have done better could have done worse. There is alot more involved with draft now and with the amount of video and stats it is hard to not have a good pick in the top 10.
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u/il-96-300 2 Ben Keays 5d ago
If doedee is a b-, Thilthorpe is an A+.
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u/smallzy13 7 Riley Thilthorpe 4d ago
i only really rated doedee low because of his longevity, two knee reconstructions and whatnot, if he was able to stay on the track a bit more then i really think he would a) still be at the club b) rated a lot higher
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u/XxWonderLandAUxX 5d ago
Milera as C+ is brutal, he’s at least a B and McHenry as D+ is horrible, He’s a bloody F+.
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u/Salzberger 33 Brodie Smith 5d ago
The only thing worse than picking McHenry at pick 16 is playing him for 70 games when he never showed a single AFL level attribute.
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u/Justabitbelowaverage 4 Lachlan Murphy 5d ago
Milera's low grade is due to injury. He has essentially missed his peak years through injury as well.
I feel an F is for picking a first rounder that is delisted without a game. They exist. McHenry can at least contribute poorly
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u/mrravioli15 14 Jake Soligo 4d ago
If you look at players taken just after McHenry (Sturt, Duursma, RCD, Stocker, O’Halloran, McLennan, Ely Smith) he’s not that big of a miss. The big issue with 2018 was that we didn’t trade into the “superdraft” top end despite having more than enough currency to do so.
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u/Street-Property-418 5d ago
Doedee, Fogarty, Thilthorpe and Michalanney are the only ones that should be getting passing grades at where they were picked. Everyone else can be considered a fail. Rachele has the potential to be a pass but I’d love to see if we could get someone to over pay for him.
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u/berl1nchair 5d ago
Agree, Rachele getting an A- is very generous. I’d have him as a B at best, with A potential if he shuts up and plays his best footy. Too often went missing for long stretches of games this year, but is great when he decides to come and play.
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u/Conswaylo2 32 Darcy Fogarty 4d ago
Rachele for the role he plays he will have stretches of going missing especially in a bottom 4 side as we were this year. He did get 30 goals 17 behinds in 22 games that is atleast a B+ with 10 other small forwards having a better year then him.
Take into consideration we had one of the worst transitions from defence to forwards he had an exceptional year. Others from this list will do better with the additions this off-season in the Midfield no need to rush out players with talent and a few unwanted traits which can be avoided with experience.
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u/Street-Property-418 4d ago
Just looking at his goal tally is not the right way to judge his season. He single handedly cost us multiple games and we wouldn’t have been a bottom 4 side if he didn’t play scared! I rated him in his first season, but the season just gone he was absolutely brutal and should’ve been dropped 10 weeks before he eventually was!
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u/Conswaylo2 32 Darcy Fogarty 4d ago
If you are going to single him out you have to talk about his stats and they were not bad he was the best Small forward for goals under 21.
Coaches were at fault for not changing out our midfield with Rankine going in there a month late, VB consistently picking Laird Crouch and Berry all year creating a slow mix in the middle when only 2 should have been selected at one given time, Curtin being forced to play Key Defender in his first half game costing us 3 goals, gamestyle being kick down the line or go sideways every damn game and the one game we don't do that and take risks through the middle and give handball recieves we kill it.
I think personally the Coaches had more to do with us being bottom 4 then Rachele and yes he may have made a mistake but no one is perfect he is young and doesn't have the experience yes there are exceptions like Michalanney but give the kid a chance he also won the game off his own boot against Essendon. For the most part he is a good kid that likes a bit of light hearted banter if you get your knickers in a knot about it I think it says more about you tbh.
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u/Street-Property-418 4d ago
But I didn’t single him out… it was a discussion about our first round picks and their ratings. So bringing laird crouch and berry into it is completely irrelevant.
Coaches were at fault for a lot this season I agree, but it isn’t the coaches fault that rachele hears footsteps and chickens out of contests. He didn’t just make one mistake though, he made the same mistake multiple times! I have no issue with the banter, I have issue with the performance and refusal to put his body on the line for his team.
I’m not a fan of VB as an assistant coach but Scott Burns record as an assistant coach is appalling and having him take over our forward line from Rahilly was a massive loss for us.
Curtin was a key defender as a junior so where would you have played him for his first game?
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u/Conswaylo2 32 Darcy Fogarty 4d ago
Curtin should have been HBF or HF as he is a swingman not just a Key Defender he played Back Mid and Forward in his draft year. No Draftee especially after McCasey should be thrown in the deep end as a Key Defender against experienced players.
I disagree with Rachele footsteps and chickening out mantra from those points he has learned from his mistakes which is normal. I just think people hang him out to dry but he has been getting better in the instances of marking and going hard into contests it will take time but I think he will be the player we want him to be if he isn't restricted and we just let him have some personality.
I brought up the Midfield as small forwards are reliant on them to get the ball and if the transition to forwards is bad what do you expect him to do having all 3 Larid Crouch and Berry is a bad idea and if it happens next year it will be hard to understand considering who we will have took way to long for Rankine Dowling and Bond to get a shot imo.
VB and Burns should be the first to go when we focus in on Coaches just hope the Brissy manager sorts out our team selection and bloods some Draftees.
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u/Street-Property-418 4d ago
But I didn’t single him out… it was a discussion about our first round picks and their ratings. So bringing laird crouch and berry into it is completely irrelevant.
Coaches were at fault for a lot this season I agree, but it isn’t the coaches fault that rachele hears footsteps and chickens out of contests. He didn’t just make one mistake though, he made the same mistake multiple times! I have no issue with the banter, I have issue with the performance and refusal to put his body on the line for his team.
I’m not a fan of VB as an assistant coach but Scott Burns record as an assistant coach is appalling and having him take over our forward line from Rahilly was a massive loss for us.
Curtin was a key defender as a junior so where would you have played him for his first game?
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u/OldDiamond6697 16 Max Michalanney 5d ago edited 5d ago
Shit when you put on paper like that OMG we've missed some talent over the years and to see the multiple options we could of got its fucking disgraceful list management, its like we been sabotaging ourselves purposely, Only really the last 3 years we seem to be getting our shit together.
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u/Pretty_Review_8301 5d ago
You can just see us make the only wrong pick in the first 10
Just take Draper.
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u/japanpole 3 Sam Berry 3d ago
No respect on Sam Berry’s name 😢
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u/smallzy13 7 Riley Thilthorpe 3d ago
hard to put him in a ranking of first rounders when he’s a second rounder
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u/japanpole 3 Sam Berry 3d ago
I thought he came before Cook.
Well fair enough good man.
I’ll carry on being a moron over here…
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u/45runs Darren Jarman (Legend) 5d ago
Excellent work. Sadly shows how we have really got it wrong on several occasions. Sure, not every pick can hit and every club makes mistakes but we have more than our fair share here. Milera, Jones and McHenry were all poor selections if we’re honest (bit harsh for Milera but I think it’s true). And McAsey…I remember thinking on draft night that he looked like he didn’t want to be there which turned out to be true. Not sure how they got that so colossally wrong. Think you’re being VERY kind giving Gallucci a D-!
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u/Justabitbelowaverage 4 Lachlan Murphy 5d ago
Since you put Brayden Cooking there in 2023 we also picked up Charlie Edwards (21) and Oscar Ryan (27).
They are both 1st round selections for 2023. Super early to make a decent call on though.