The Rookie Draft has been a veritable pot of gold for AFL clubs since it was introduced in 1997.

No less than 113 rookies and have played 100+ AFL games, and 33 have played 200+ games.

Among these 113, 40 have won a combined 52 premierships, 20 have been selected 35 times in the All-Australian side, 19 have won 27 club championship awards and six have been club captains.

But who has been the greatest rookie of all-time?

It is a question that 10 people may answer differently.

Part of the challenge is comparing a long and decorated career with a one-off moment like the 2014 Brownlow Medal win by West Coast’s Matthew Priddis or the 2016 Norm Smith Medal won by the Western Bulldog Jason Johannisen. Both are ex-rookies.

But all reasonable logic says any player who has captained his club, been part of a premiership, earned All-Australian selection, and won a club championship has to be right in the mix.

That narrows it down to just three players.

If we add a minimum 250 games to the criteria it knocks one more out.

Then, if we throw in a tie-breaker criteria – perhaps that the player must have come from a rugby league background or even completed an MBA while playing football – there can only be one answer.

Kieren Jack is the only ex-rookie to play 250+ games, captain his club, win a premiership, earn All-Australian selection, win a club championship and hail from rugby league.

Jack is a Rookie List Hall of Famer. And no matter what the selection criteria he must be prominent in considerations for the best of all-time.

Just as certain is the fact that Sydney have capitalised most on the rookie list, with 10 of the 113 100-game rookies getting their chance in red and white.

Jack played his 256^th and final game against St Kilda at the SCG on Saturday to rank equal eighth on the all-time rookie games list headed by the Western Bulldogs’ Matthew Boyd, who was the last player ko’d in the aforementioned consideration because he doesn’t hail from rugby league.

He played 292 games, was a three-year Dogs captain, a three-time best and fairest winner, a three-time All-Australian and a 2016 premiership player.

West Coast’s Dean Cox, now an assistant-coach at the Swans, is second on the rookie games list at 290, ahead of North Melbourne’s Michael Firrito (275), St Kilda’s Stephen Milne (275), Fremantle’s Aaron Sandilands (271 with one to play), ex-Melbourne captain and GWS recruit James McDonald (264), and Port Adelaide/Fremantle utility Danyle Pearce (258).

Jack has finished his playing career level with long-time Swans teammate Heath Grundy (256), with the Bulldogs’ Dale Morris (253) completing the 250+ group.

Brett Kirk, the third player in the aforementioned top three all-time rookies before being ‘eliminated’ by the 250-game mark, is next on the list of 100-game Swans rookies at 241. Then follows Nick Smith (211), Tadhg Kennelly (197), Dane Rampe (158), Jake Lloyd (136), Paul Bevan (129), Harry Cunningham (113) and Mike Pyke (110).

Amazingly, this group have won a combined seven premierships, four club championship awards and four All-Australian blazers, and Jack, Kirk and Rampe have skippered the club. And Rampe, Lloyd and Cunningham are still going.

Jack and Grundy, who announced his injury-forced retirement earlier in the season, finish equal seventh on the Swans’ all-time games list that is headed by Adam Goodes at 372.

Jarrad McVeigh, who also played his last game on Saturday, drew level with Jude Bolton at 325 to sit equal second, ahead of Michael O’Loughlin (303), Ryan O’Keefe (286) and John Rantall (260). Mark Browning (251) and Stevie Wright (246) complete the top 10.

Kieren Jack – By the Numbers

58 – A graduate of the NSW/ACT Rams, he is officially listed as selection #58 in the 2006 Rookie Draft in which the Swans took four other players: Jonathan Simpkin, James Wall, Paul Currie and Simon Phillips. In his first profile in the AFL Guide it said of Jack: “He is a small midfielder who attacks the ball hard and knows no fear. Works hard, wins the ball well and will be given time to develop”.

48 – He wore jumper #48 in his debut in Round 6, 2007 against North Melbourne at Docklands. At 19 years, 311 days, he was the youngest player in a side in which 33-year-old 258-gamer Peter Everitt was the oldest and most experienced. He had 12 disposals in a 16-point loss.

15 – In 2008 he switched to jumper #15 that had been worn most often by Bernie Evans (148 games) and Bernard Toohey (129), and most recently by Stephen Doyle (7 games) in 2006. He wore #15 for the 254^th time on Saturday. Only three players in AFL history have worn #15 more often – Hawthorn pair Luke Hodge (305) and Kelvin Moore (298), and Geelong’s Peter Riccardi (288).

22 – He played the first of 22 AFL finals in his 24^th game in the 2008 elimination final against North Melbourne at Stadium Australia. He had 15 disposals and kicked an equal career-best three goals in a 35-point win. And, he was credited with the first and only ruck hit-out of his career. He ranks equal fifth in all-time finals for the Swans, behind Adam Goodes and Jarrad McVeigh (28), Jude Bolton (26) and Ryan O’Keefe (24), and level with Dan Hannebery and Josh Kennedy (22).

100 – Jack played his 100^th game in Round 11, 2012 against Essendon at Docklands. He had 21 possessions and kicked two critical goals just before halftime. The Swans won by four points after a decisive late goal from Lewis Jetta.

96 – He was appointed co-captain of the Swans with Jarrad McVeigh and would skipper the club in 96 games from 2013-16. Only eight players have done so more often: Paul Kelly (182), Bob Skilton (165), McVeigh (139), Dennis Carroll (131), Brett Kirk (119), Ron Clegg (105), Herbie Matthews (99) and Barry Round (19).

163 – In his 163^rd game he played in the 2014 grand final loss to Hawthorn. Jack had 18 disposals and kicked two goals in a disappointing loss.

35 – He had a career-best 35 possessions in his 186^th game – an 80-point win over Collingwood at the SCG in Round 1, 2018.

200 – He played his 200^th match in Round 16, 2016 against Geelong at Kardinia Park. He had 24 possessions, kicked an equal career-best three goals, had 10 tackles and earned three Brownlow Medal votes in a 38-point win.

210 – In his 210^th game Jack played in his second grand final against the Western Bulldogs. He had 22 possessions and three goal assists, but sadly it was another loss.

3 – Jack is the only three-time winner of the Brett Kirk Medal, awarded to the player judged best afield in home-and-away matches between the Sydney Swans and the GWS. He won it in 2012, 2013 and 2014 in the second, third and sixth matches between the two NSW clubs.

26 – He played in the first 26 of the 28 Swans games played by younger brother Brandon. Sadly, he missed Brandon’s only finals appearance in 2015 with a knee problem, and his last game in Round 6, 2017 with a hip problem.

99 – Jack played his 99^th game at the SCG on Saturday, ranking 13^th in games at the famous ground where Adam Goodes (143) has played most often from Michael O’Loughlin (136), Jude Bolton (128), Mark Bayes (125), Daryn Cresswell (123), Jarrad McVeigh (121), Paul Kelly (116), Andrew Dunkley (115), Leo Barry (103), Stuart Maxfield (102), Ryan O’Keefe (102) and Dennis Carroll (100).

2 – He twice played for Australia in the International Rules series, in Ireland in 2010 and in Australia in 2014.

61 – He retires with 61 Brownlow votes, barring any unexpected bonus votes this year, to rank equal 18^th on the all-time Swans list. It is Bob Skilton (180), Adam Goodes (163), Josh Kennedy (125), Herbie Matthews (122), Ron Clegg (121), Dan Hannebery (106), Paul Kelly (103), Barry Round (90), Jude Bolton (89), Lance Franklin (85), Brett Kirk (81), Luke Parker (78), Ryan O’Keefe (77), Peter Bedford (67), Graham Teasdale (64), Barry Hall and Greg Williams (63), Daryn Cresswell and Kieren Jack (61), Bob Pratt (60) and Dennis Carroll (58). Votes awarded in 1976-77, when both field umpires lodged 3-2-1 separately, are halved for comparison purposes.

7 – Jack finished top 10 in the Bob Skilton Medal seven times, highlighted by his win in 2010 when he had played just 71 games and was only 23. He was also seventh in 2009, fourth in 2012 (when he was an All-Australian nominee), second in 2013 (when he won All-Australian selection), fourth in 2014, third in 2015 and 10^th in 2016.

5018 – He had 5029 possessions for the Swans to sit eighth on the club’s all-time list since statistics were first kept in 1965. Only Adam Goodes (6393), Jarrad McVeigh (6253), Josh Kennedy (6219), Jude Bolton (5831), Daryn Cresswell (5601), Ryan O’Keefe (5154) and Dan Hannebery (5,069) had more.