The National Draft has thrown up plenty of hits and misses over the years.
In many cases, top selections may not have fulfilled expectations while beneath the first and second rounds buried treasure has been unearthed.
Then there’s the Preseason Draft, of which the Sydney Swans have been experts in polishing recycled or overlooked players into absolute gems.
As the 2015 National and Preseason Drafts draw near, sydneyswans.com.au will take a look at some drafts from the past to see what worked and what didn’t...beginning with season 1994.
1994
After a third consecutive wooden spoon, the Swans went into the 1994 National Draft armed with two top-five picks (Pick 2 and Pick 3).
Pick 1 had been gifted to Fremantle as a concession ahead of its upcoming debut season while Pick 5 was used in a trade to secure a full-forward by the name of Tony Lockett.
The Swans snapped up Anthony Rocca and Shannon Grant with the first two picks. As the story goes, the pair would stick around for a combined 80 games in the red and white before going on to have decorated careers elsewhere.
Anthony Rocca (left) and Shannon Grant (right) during their brief stints in the red and white.
It was further down the pecking order where the Swans ultimately struck gold.
At Pick 21 – which was traded to Sydney from Fremantle in exchange for Scott Watters before the draft – utility Matthew Nicks arrived from West Adelaide.
Over the course of the next decade, Nicks would compile 175 games in an injury-plagued career before retiring towards the end of 2005.
Described as a loyal clubman, Nicks eventually went into coaching and is currently an assistant coach with Port Adelaide.
Matthew Nicks was considered the ultimate team man.
In the same pool (at Pick 40) the Swans secured the services of South Australian Michael O’Loughlin.
Little needs to be said of the 303-gamer’s revered impact. A premiership, Bob Skilton Medal, All Australian honours and Hall of Fame induction has bargain written all over it.
Selected with Pick 74 in the same pool was Troy Luff.
Luff’s selection was unusual given the boy from Nelson Bay had already played 21 matches with the Swans having been recruited five years earlier.
He had already been de-listed twice in a tough start to his football career before being gifted another chance.
Luff would repay the faith and go on to enjoy a breakout season in 1996 before playing out a career spanning 151 games.
Troy Luff (pictured with Nic Fosdike, left, and Daryn Cresswell, middle) took a little while to develop but was a favourite son by the time of his retirement.
There were two more draftees to note in the class of ’94.
As part of the drafting rules at the time, the Sydney Swans swooped on Deniliquin youngster Leo Barry by nominating him as a zone selection.
Barry played 237 games over 15 years and, as we all know, was a significant member of the Swans’ 2005 Premiership.
The Swans only used one of their two selections in the subsequent Preseason Draft (1995) with great effect, recruiting former Fitzroy captain and future premiership coach Paul Roos.
Paul Roos finished his decorated career in Sydney before leading the Swans to a drought-breaking premiership.
1994 National Draft
Pick 2 - Anthony Rocca (Northern U18)
Pick 3 - Shannon Grant (Western U18)
Pick 20 - Stuart Mangin (Northern U18)
Pick 21 - Matthew Nicks (West Adelaide)
Pick 40 - Michael O'Loughlin (Central District)
Pick 57 - Emil Parthenides (Eastern U18)
Pick 74 - Troy Luff (Sydney)
Pick 87 - Simon Arnott (Collegians)
Pre-Draft Selection
Zone Selection - Tim Scott (Albury)
Zone Selection - Justin Crawford (Tocumwal)
Zone Selection - Leo Barry (Deniliquin)
1995 Preseason Draft
Pick 2 - Paul Roos (Fitzroy)
Pick 3 - Pass
In Part 2 of 'Drafts from the past', we'll take a look at 1997 when one of the all time greats snuck through to the Swans' recruiters.
