The pick number 56 that Richmond holds in the upcoming AFL National Draft, has proven to be a surprise packet over the years, producing a raft of premiership players, All-Australian representatives, Best and Fairest winners, leading goalkickers, and all-round, valuable performers.
Interestingly, the Tigers had pick 56 in the first National Draft back in 1986, but the player they chose – South Australian star Greg Whittlesea – never even made the move to Punt Road (he later had a brief playing stint at Hawthorn).
In 1990, Richmond again had acquired pick 56, which it subsequently used on young Mt Gambier ruckman Matthew Clarke.
Unfortunately for the Tigers, Clarke never managed to pull on the famous Yellow and Black guernsey at senior level. His AFL career, however, took off when he joined Brisbane.
He proceeded to play 130 games for Brisbane, and then a further 118 with Adelaide, before finishing his league career at St Kilda (10 games).
Brisbane fully capitalised on the pick 56 it had in the 1995 National Draft, securing the services of talented Wodonga forward Daniel Bradshaw, who became a dual premiership player with the Lions, won their leading goalkicker award three times, and kicked 496 goals in a 222-game career with them (plus 28 in nine appearances for Sydney).
In the 1991 National Draft, Sydney took a young backman from Tasmanian club North Launceston – Andrew Dunkley – with pick 56.
Dunkley turned into an extremely dependable defender for the Swans, playing 217 games in a decade-long league career there.
Sydney also struck gold with pick 56 at the 1999 Draft table, selecting Ryan O’Keefe, a versatile youngster from TAC Cup team Calder Cannons.
When O’Keefe announced his playing retirement from league football at the end of the 2014 season, he had two premierships (2005, 2012), a Norm Smith Medal (2012), an All-Australian blazer (2006), Bob Skilton Medal (as Sydney’s Best and Fairest in 2009) to his credit, following an illustrious 286-game career.
Cameron Mooney, a long-haired, tall forward with the NSW-ACT Rams team, was selected by North Melbourne at pick 56 in the 1996 National Draft.
Mooney managed only 11 games with the Roos, but was a member of their 1999 premiership side, although he spent most of the Grand Final against Carlton on the interchange bench and didn’t feature at all on the stats sheet.
His AFL career really took off, though, after he was traded to Geelong at the end of that ’99 season.
He ended up playing 210 games for the Cats, kicking 295 goals, winning their leading goalkicker award twice, earning All-Australian selection, and being a member of two premiership sides with them.
The success stories of the No. 56 National Draft pick don’t end there . . .
Daniel Cross was the Western Bulldogs choice at that pick in 2000, and he played 210 games for them, winning their 2008 Best and Fairest award, before finishing his league career at Melbourne (39 games in two seasons).
Paul Medhurst had a fine AFL career at two clubs – Fremantle and Collingwood – after being taken by the Dockers at pick 56 in the 2001 National Draft.
Medhurst, a clever small forward, kicked 166 goals in 99 games with Fremantle and won the Dockers’ leading goalkicker award twice.
He then booted 108 goals in 69 games with the Magpies, winning their leading goalkicker award in 2008 and earning All-Australian selection the same year.
Joel Patfull, who retired from AFL football as a player at the end of the 2016 season, had a 182-game career at Brisbane, followed by a 38-game stint with Greater Western Sydney. The reliable backman was a dual winner of the Lions’ Best and Fairest award (2012-13).
