Jurrah, a 193cm forward, came to the attention of several clubs after a stint with Collingwood's VFL affiliate side in 2007. But his selection was largely overshadowed by Richmond’s decision to pick up former West Coast captain Ben Cousins with pick No. 6.
Cousins will continue his 238-game career at Richmond after spending the 2008 season out of the game, deregistered by the AFL.
The Tigers had maintained a desire to stick with youth and Murray Bushrangers defender Kade Klemke, who trained with at Punt Road, was seen as the front runner.
Klemke eventually found an AFL home when Essendon selected him 50th overall in the NAB AFL Rookie Draft.
As expected both Port Adelaide (No. 2) and Carlton (No. 4) used their picks on experienced players - Josh Carr and Chris Johnson respectively.
Carr, 28, has played a total of 188 games and tasted premiership success with Port Adelaide in 2004. Carr returned to Perth to play with Fremantle and his brother Matthew after the premiership win but wanted to come back to Power after four seasons away.
Johnson, 22, has trained with the Blues since departing Melbourne at the end of a frustrating 2008 season that saw him play just 10 games for the eventual wooden spooner.
Former Adelaide Crow Hayden Skipworth also made a surprising return to AFL ranks with Essendon at pick three after playing with the Bendigo Bombers in the VFL for the past two seasons.
Skipworth, 25, was delisted by the Crows for the second and final time at the end of 2006 after playing 44 games for the Adelaide club.
Murray Bushranger forward Tom Rockliff, considered by many to be unlucky not to get picked in the national draft, was selected by the Brisbane Lions at pick five.
Ex-Swan Nick Davis had been training with the Lions in the hope of being selected, but he led the group of established AFL players, including Nathan Carroll, Michael Rix and Sam Iles, who did not get picked up.
The rookie draft followed 20 minutes after the pre-season meeting and Melbourne spent the first pick on Geelong Falcons midfielder Jordie McKenzie who is described as being a good decision maker with clean hands.
Former Geelong rookie Liam Bedford was the first AFL-listed player to be offered a new home at the rookie meeting with the Swans re-drafting Kristin Thornton and St Kilda offering ex-Hawk Zac Dawson a second chance in the first round.
Other AFL players to earn a reprieve include Danny Meyer, David Gourdis, Chris Schmidt, Haydn Kiel, Greg Bentley, Brad Howard, Gary Moss, Darren Pfeiffer, Alan Obst and Tobias Thoolen.
NT prospect Casey Sibosado had attracted plenty of interest from the Crows at the national draft, but is now a Fremantle Docker who called his name third overall.
Adam Varcoe will join brother Travis at Geelong after the Cats took a punt on the small forward who is still recovering from a knee reconstruction.
Adelaide was the first club to pass at number 41 while Hawthorn used the 85th and final pick of the draft to retain New South Wales scholarship player William Sierakowski.
