To celebrate 40 years of the AFL Draft, AFL Talent Ambassador Kevin Sheehan has named the best player drafted with each of the top 40 picks.

The national Draft was introduced back in 1986, with the Brisbane Bears selecting Martin Leslie with the first-ever pick.

Since then, more than 3,100 players have had their name read out in the national Draft.

That number will be added to next week, when the 2025 Telstra AFL Draft is held at Marvel Stadium on Wednesday, November 19 and Thursday, November 20.

To recognise the 40-year milestone, Kevin Sheehan has named the best player selected with each of the top 40 picks.

Pick #1: Luke Hodge (selected by Hawthorn in 2001)
Hodge gets the nod as the best number one selection ahead of another champion of the game in Nick Riewoldt.

Hodge finished his career with 346 games, four premierships, two Norm Smith Medals and was named an All Australian on three occasions, including as captain in 2010. He also won the Jim Stynes Medal in the 2014 International Rules Series against Ireland and was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame earlier this year.

Despite premiership success alluding him, Riewoldt’s brilliant 336-game career featured five All Australian honours, six club best and fairest awards and the 2002 AFL Rising Star.

Other great number one selections include Brendon Goddard (selected by St Kilda in 2002), Lachie Whitfield (GWS Giants, 2012), Jacob Weitering (Carlton, 2015), Sam Walsh (Carlton, 2018) and 2025 Brownlow Medal winner Matt Rowell (Gold Coast Suns, 2019).

Pick #2: Trent Cotchin (selected by Richmond in 2007)
A three-time premiership captain and the 2012 Brownlow medallist, Cotchin played 306 AFL games and was a major contributor in establishing Richmond as the powerhouse club of the late 2010s with his leadership and unique talent.

In my view, he is top of an excellent field which includes four-time All Australian and 2021 Norm Smith medallist Christian Petracca (Melbourne, 2014), four-time premiership player and 2013 Coleman Medal winner Jarryd Roughead (Hawthorn, 2004) and four-time All Australian and triple premiership star Nigel Lappin (Brisbane, 1993).

Others who potentially have claims in the years ahead include dual Norm Smith medallist Will Ashcroft (Brisbane Lions, 2022), emerging key forward Sam Darcy (Western Bulldogs, 2021) and Gold Coast Suns skipper Noah Anderson (2019).

Pick #3: Dustin Martin (selected by Richmond in 2009)
Two great champions of the game this century in Dustin Martin and Chris Judd are almost impossible to separate as the best player selected with pick three.

However, Martin just gets the nod following a career that spanned 302 games and was highlighted by becoming the first player to win the Norm Smith Medal three times in Richmond’s premiership wins in 2017, 2019 and 2020. He also claimed the 2017 Brownlow Medal and was a four-time All Australian.

Judd, a superstar with both the West Coast Eagles and Carlton, changed the game with his breathtaking acceleration from midfield and was extremely difficult to defend. He played 279 games, won two Brownlow Medals and a Norm Smith Medal, was six times an All Australian, won five club best and fairest awards and was a premiership captain.

Pick #4: Marcus Bontempelli (selected by the Western Bulldogs in 2013)
Bontempelli gets the nod over two other champions of the game in Fremantle’s Matthew Pavlich and the West Coast Eagles’ Peter Matera, who both would have been very worthy given their careers.

Bontempelli has already had a remarkable career with his unique talent still on full display. Still yet to reach 30 years of age, he has already claimed All Australian honours seven times, along with six club best and fairest awards, including the 2016 premiership season when the club broke its 62-year premiership drought.

Pavlich had a remarkable career with the Dockers, booting 700 goals in 353 games and claiming six best and fairest awards while also being named a six-time All Australian.

Hot on his heels was another superstar from the west, in 1992 Norm Smith Medal winner Peter Matera, whose 253 games were electric for the West Coast Eagles and saw him being awarded All Australian honours on five occasions along with winning two premierships.

Pick #5: Lance Franklin (selected by Hawthorn in 2004)
Franklin is one of the greatest players of the modern era. The mercurial forward booted 1066 goals in 354 matches for Hawthorn and Sydney. He was selected in the All Australian Team on eight occasions, including as captain in 2018. A four-time Coleman Medal winner, he also was a two-time premiership player with the Hawks.

He eclipses, in my opinion, another great of the game in Scott Pendlebury. The Collingwood champion is still going strong and with 425 games under his belt is on track to break the AFL/VFL games record next year. His credits including being a six-time All Australian, winning a Norm Smith Medal and two premiership medals, as well taking out the Copeland Trophy as club champion on five occasions.

Pick #6: Jack Macrae (selected by the Western Bulldogs in 2012)
A ball magnet across 12 seasons with the Western Bulldogs, Macrae continued to find plenty of the football in his first season with St Kilda in 2025. He has now played 270 games and been three times an All Australian in a great career, which includes having premiership success in 2016 with the Bulldogs.

I rate him just ahead of former Port Adelaide and Hawthorn forward Chad Wingard, a dual All Australian who played 218 games and kicked 300 goals in a fine career which included a best and fairest for the Power.

Emerging at this selection is Gold Coast Suns forward Ben King, who has already kicked 255 goals in 120 games to be his club’s leading goalkicker on five occasions and with plenty to unfold in his career in the coming years.

Pick #7: Joel Selwood (selected by Geelong in 2006)
One of the best players of this generation, Selwood played 366 games for Geelong and won four premierships, including as skipper in 2022. He was named an All Australian six times (three as captain), was a three-time best and fairest winner and the 2007 AFL Rising Star.

He gets the nod ahead of Brisbane Lions three-time premiership defender and Indigenous Team of the Century member Chris Johnson, four-time premiership player and 319-gamer Jordan Lewis and Selwood’s Geelong teammate Andrew Mackie, who won three premierships as well as claiming All Australian honours across a 280-game career.

Pick #8: Jimmy Bartel (selected by Geelong in 2001)
More than 300 games, a Brownlow Medal, a Norm Smith Medal and three premierships are all part of the Bartel resume in an outstanding career with Geelong.

He nudges out his Cats’ teammate Joel Corey (two-time All Australian, dual best and fairest and three premierships across 276 games) and Sydney Swans star Jude Bolton (325 games and two premierships) as the best player selected at pick eight.

Another great success at this selection is former Essendon captain Dyson Heppell, whose impressive career included winning All Australian honours and a best and fairest.

Meanwhile, Fremantle star Caleb Serong looks an inspired selection at this point, having already earned All Australian honours as well as winning his club’s best and fairest in each of the past three seasons.

Pick #9: Darcy Moore (selected by Collingwood in 2014)
A premiership captain and twice an All Australian in his 195 games to date with Collingwood, Moore is my choice as the best performed player selected at pick nine.

Chad Cornes’ impressive record of 255 games with both a premiership medallion and All Australian honours to his credit make him part of the conversation given his performances playing for both Port Adelaide and the GWS Giants.

Current Richmond star defender Nick Vlastuin might also have claims in the years to come having already won three premierships in 255 games, while still playing some great football for the Tigers.

The likes of former North Melbourne skipper Jack Ziebell and dual premiership ruckman Ben McEvoy are also both great success stories at this selection.

Pick #10: Patrick Dangerfield (selected by the Adelaide Crows in 2007)
The former Adelaide Crows and now Geelong superstar is the easy call as the best number 10 Draft selection of all time. A premiership player with seven All Australian honours, a Brownlow Medal and four best and fairest awards across 360 matches, he continues to epitomise the spectacular game.

Former Western Bulldogs and Richmond star Nathan Brown was taken at this number in 1996 was a star across 219 games, winning All Australian honours on two occasions and earning the Jim Stynes Medal as Australia’s best player in the 2004 International Rules Series against Ireland.

Pick #11: Brad Johnson (selected by Footscray in 1993)
A six-time All Australian and three-time best and fairest winner who became the Western Bulldogs’ games record holder (364 matches) after being drafted from around the corner at Williamstown/Western Jets, Johnson is an AFL Hall of Famer and a worthy selection as the best player picked at number 11.

Lenny Hayes, who was selected from Pennant Hills in the west of Sydney and became a St Kilda great across 297 games, is also a contender. The tough midfielder was a genuine star of the game, winning three best and fairest awards, three All Australian selections and the Norm Smith Medal in the 2010 drawn Grand Final.

Another couple of enduring stars still dominating today who were selected with pick 11 are two-time Collingwood premiership player and dual best and fairest Steele Sidebottom and GWS Giants skipper Toby Greene, who is a three-time All Australian, two-time club best and fairest and has booted 416 goals.

Pick #12: Gavin Wanganeen (selected by Essendon in 1989)
A star playmaker who could dominant across all parts of the ground, Wanganeen won the Brownlow Medal as a 20-year-old in Essendon’s 1993 premiership season. He went on to play 300 games, was a five-time All Australian and won premierships with both the Bombers and Port Adelaide (where he was the club’s inaugural captain) before being inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

With his CV, his selection shouldn’t have been up for debate if not for two other Indigenous greats of the game who were also selected with pick 12 in Shaun Burgoyne (407 games and four premierships) and Cyril Rioli (2015 Norm Smith medallist and four-time premiership player) who were selected in 2000 and 2007 respectively.

Others who may be in contention in the years to come include three-time Port Adelaide best and fairest Zak Butters and Melbourne premiership star Kosi Pickett, who are both at the top of their games right now.

Pick #13: Patrick Cripps (selected by Carlton in 2013)
The number 13 might be unlucky for some, but certainly not for AFL recruiters based on the number of champions who have been chosen at this number.

My choice at the top is Patrick Cripps who is still going strong in a decorated career spanning 230 games that has netted two Brownlow Medals, five best and fairest awards and four All Australians while also being regarded as one of the best leaders in our game today.

He now, in my view, nudges past another great in Shane Crawford, who was one of the game’s greatest runners in a 305-game career which captured a Brownlow Medal, four best and fairest awards, four All Australian honours and a premiership in his last game.

Jack Riewoldt (347 games, 787 goals, three premierships, three Coleman Medals and three-time All Australian), Nick Dal Santo (322 games and three-time All Australian) and Bob Murphy (312 games and All Australian captain) and are also in the debate as the best at this number.

Pick #14: Adam Simpson (selected by North Melbourne in 1993)
The former West Coast Eagles coach wins the nomination for the best performed player selected at pick 14 for his career with North Melbourne, where he amassed 306 games, two premierships, a club best and fairest and served as captain.

He gets the nod ahead of four-time premiership defender and 2012 All Australian, Grant Birchall, who was a great performer in 248 games for Hawthorn and later the Brisbane Lions, where he played a further 39 matches.

Pick #15: Daniel Rioli (selected by Richmond in 2015)
Three times a premiership player and a Jack Dyer Medal winner at Richmond before joining the Gold Coast Suns this season, Rioli emerged from the famous family’s clan at St Mary’s in the Northern Territory to become a star at AFL level across 203 matches to date.

Very much in the conversation is another Territorian in Zac Bailey, who is now a dual premiership player for the Brisbane Lions after being selected from Southern Districts, as well as three-time North Melbourne best and fairest Brady Rawlings who played 245 for the Kangaroos after being drafted from Devonport in the 1998 Draft.

Pick #16: Fraser Gehrig (selected by the West Coast Eagles in 1993)
Drafted from the Murray Bushrangers, Gehrig played 260 games and kicked 549 goals across a stellar career with the West Coast Eagles and St Kilda, twice winning the Coleman Medal and All Australian honours.

Also up for consideration was Scott Thompson, who was selected from South Australia by Melbourne before moving to the Adelaide Crows where he was twice crowned club champion and was named an All Australian in 2012.

Pick 17: Harry Taylor (selected by Geelong in 2007)
Key defender Taylor gets the nod after a stellar 280-game career after being drafted as a 21-year-old from East Fremantle. Was one of the best intercept marks of the modern era and an important member of Geelong’s 2009 and 2011 premierships. Was twice picked in the All Australian Team and won the Jim Stynes Medal in the 2015 International Rules Series against Ireland

Very much in the conversation must be Taylor’s former teammate James Kelly, who played 313 games for Geelong and Essendon, winning three premierships and a best and fairest for the Cats. He also won the Jim Stynes Medal in 2011.

Pick 18: Alex Rance (selected by Richmond in 2007)
The star Richmond defender drafted from Western Australia earns the gong at pick 18 after a stellar 200-game career that saw him named in the All Australian on five occasions, including once as captain. Was a star of Richmond’s drought-breaking premiership team in 2017 and claimed the Tigers’ best and fairest in 2015.

Others who would be worthy selections at this number include North Melbourne two-time premiership player and former skipper Anthony Stevens (292 games, two best and fairests and twice All Australian) and West Coast Eagles premiership star Luke Shuey (248 games, Norm Smith Medal and two-time best and fairest winner).

Pick 19: Barry Hall (selected by St Kilda in 1995)
A powerhouse forward drafted from the Murray Bushrangers, Hall was inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2017 after kicking 746 goals in 289 matches for St Kilda, Sydney and the Western Bulldogs. Was co-captain of Sydney’s drought-breaking 2005 premiership team, as well as receiving All Australian honours on four occasions and twice winning the Coleman Medal.

Another Murray Bushranger in the mix is former Fremantle skipper David Mundy, who played 376 games with the Dockers in an outstanding career which included a best and fairest and All Australian honours.

Pick 20: Nat Fyfe (selected by Fremantle in 2009)
Drafted from Claremont, Fyfe went on to become a superstar for Fremantle, winning the Brownlow Medal on two occasions. A three-time All Australian, including captain in 2019, he took out the Dockers’ best and fairest on three occasions and won the 2017 Jim Stynes Medal in the International Rules Series against Ireland which showcased his unique talent.

Port Adelaide premiership midfielder Kane Cornes had an outstanding 300-game career, winning four best and fairest awards and was twice named All Australian, but it took a superstar in Fyfe to beat him in my view.

Pick 21: Tom Mitchell (selected by Sydney in 2011)
A star journeyman for Sydney, Hawthorn and Collingwood, Mitchell won both the Brownlow Medal and Leigh Matthews Trophy as the AFLPA’s Most Valuable Player in his second season with the Hawks in 2018. A two-time best and fairest winner, dual All Australian and premiership player, Mitchell picks himself as the most successful player selected at this number.

Fremantle small forward Hayden Ballantyne had an excellent career after being selected with pick 21 in the 2008 Draft, kicking 254 goals in 171 matches, including winning All Australian honours in 2014.

Pick 22: Scott Selwood (selected by the West Coast Eagles in 2007)
Hampered by injury in the back half of his career, Selwood is only one of two players chosen at selection 22 to win a club best and fairest award, which he did for the West Coast Eagles in 2012. After 135 games with the Eagles, he joined his brother Joel at Geelong, where he played a further 34 matches. Gave his all across 11 seasons in the AFL, where he played in a variety of roles for both clubs.

Essendon’s Jordan Ridley won his club’s best and fairest award in 2020 and has been a composed intercept marking defender. There is still plenty to yet unfold in his career, despite injury challenges that have limited him to 104 games in his nine years at the AFL level.

Pick 23: Michael Long (selected by Essendon in 1988)
An inspired selection by Essendon after being awarded All Australian honours playing for the Northern Territory in the 1988 Australian National Championships. Long became a trailblazer for Indigenous players during his 190-game career for the Bombers. A two-time premiership player, he won the Norm Smith Medal in 1993 and was an All Australian in the same year.

Former North Melbourne and West Coast Eagles big man Drew Petrie and Geelong midfielder Cam Guthrie are other great choices at pick 23. Petrie played 332 games, was an All Australian in 2011 and was the Kangaroos’ leading goalkicker five times, while Guthrie was a dual best and fairest winner with the Cats, as well as a premiership player and All Australian.

Pick 24: Steve Johnson (selected by Geelong in 2001)
A key reason why the 2001 AFL Draft has been dubbed the ‘Super Draft’ was the emergence of the prodigiously talented Johnson at selection 24. A great entertainer, the mercurial forward booted 516 goals in 293 games for Geelong and the GWS Giants. A three-time All Australian and triple premiership player, he claimed the 2007 Norm Smith Medal to help Geelong end a 44-premiership drought.

Among the other stars selected at pick 24 are dual All Australian and two-time best and fairest Jack Steele and three-time premiership running defender David Wojcinski.

Pick 25: Josh Dunkley (selected by the Western Bulldogs in 2015)
With a lot more to still play out in his career Dunkley is already a triple premiership player and a best and fairest with both the Western Bulldogs and Brisbane Lions, in a career spanning 193 games to date. He’s also a winner of the prestigious Robert Rose Award as the AFL’s most courageous player.

Dual St Kilda best and fairest winner Seb Ross was a prolific ball winner in 211 games for the Saints and is on the podium of success stories at pick 25, along with Jack Redden who was an ultra-consistent midfielder for the Brisbane Lions and West Coast Eagles across 263 matches, winning a premiership with the later in 2018.

Pick 26: Zach Merrett (selected by Essendon in 2013)
Now in rare company as a six-time best and fairest winner and three-time All Australian, Merrett has had a great career to date, having just surpassed 250 games and serving as the Bombers’ captain for the past three years.

Merrett gets the nod ahead of a few other well-credentialled stars, including Richmond’s Shane Edwards who was drafted from North Adelaide in 2006 and went on to become a triple premiership player and an All Australian in 2018 in a tremendous career spanning 303 games.

Also in the mix is West Coast Eagles and North Melbourne forward Jack Darling, who has booted 556 goals in 320 games and been both a premiership player and All Australian, along with former Hawthorn star Darrin Pritchard who won three flags across 211 games after being selected at pick 26 in the inaugural Draft of 1986.

Pick 27: Kane Johnson (selected by the Adelaide Crows in 1995)
Drafted from the Eastern Ranges after emerging from the Ringwood Football Club, Johnson became an important part of the Crows’ back-to-back premiership teams in 1997 and 1998. He later moved to Richmond and went on to captain the Tigers for four years and win the Jack Dyer Medal as their best and fairest player.

Another contender at this number is Ted Richards, who was initially selected by Essendon before blossoming as a star defender with the Sydney Swans, where he played in the 2012 premiership and earned All Australian honours the same year.

Brendon Gale was selected from Tasmania with pick 27 in the second national Draft in 1987. He played 244 games for Richmond as a ruck and key forward before having an even bigger impact with the Tigers as CEO before accepting the same role with the Tasmania Devils.

Pick 28: Mitch Duncan (selected by Geelong in 2009)
Drafted at pick 28 from East Perth, Duncan quickly became a premiership player with Geelong in 2011 and again over a decade later when he featured in the 2022 flag. Retired this year after playing 305 games in an outstanding career.

Also under consideration at this pick is Essendon premiership midfielder Jason Johnson, who was a best and fairest winner and an All Australian during his 184-game career.

Another Western Australian taken with pick 28 is GWS Giants defender Sam Taylor, who was selected from Swan Districts. Taylor is already a dual All Australian and best and fairest winner across 130 games to date, with lots more to play out in his career.

Pick 29: Jack Gunston (selected by the Adelaide Crows in 2009)
Still looks to have plenty left in the tank after a remarkable 2025 season, where at the age of 33 he kicked 65 goals to finish third in the Coleman Medal, while also winning Hawthorn’s best and fairest and All Australian selection for the second time.

Gunston has now kicked 554 goals in 283 matches in a truly fantastic career. Originally drafted by Adelaide, he made his name at Hawthorn where he was a key part of the team that won three-consecutive flags from 2013-15. He had a brief stint at the Brisbane Lions before returning to the Hawks in 2024 to again showcase his amazing forward craft.

In my view he surpasses Wayne Campbell, a four-time best and fairest winner and dual All Australian in 297 games for Richmond.

Pick 30: Jonathan Brown (selected by the Brisbane Lions in 1999)
The father-son selection became a superstar of the Brisbane Lions, which included playing a leading role in their 2001-03 premiership three-peat. Entered the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2020 following a career that featured 594 goals across 256 games, three best and fairests, two All Australian selections and a Coleman Medal.

Another to make his mark at this selection was Dan Hannebery, who played 226 games for the Sydney Swans and St Kilda. He won the Ron Evans Medal as the AFL Rising Star in 2010, as well as achieving All Australian honours on three occasions and being part of Sydney Swans premiership team in 2012.

Pick 31: Simon Black (selected by the Brisbane Lions in 1997)
A member of the Australian Football Hall of Fame, Black did it all in his time with the Brisbane Lions. A three-time three premiership player, he also won three club champion awards, along with a Brownlow Medal and Norm Smith Medal during his 322-game career.

Hot on his heels was another Norm Smith medallist and triple premiership player in Paul Chapman, who played 280 games for Geelong and Essendon.

A podium finish goes to Melbourne forward Bayley Fritsch, who was selected at this choice in 2017. A five-time leading goalkicker with the Demons, he booted six majors in the 2021 Grand Final to spearhead his team to victory and has 288 goals in 171 games to date.

Pick 32: Errol Gulden (selected by the Sydney Swans in 2020)
In a career still in its early stages, Gulden has already established himself as a star of the competition, earning All Australian honours on two occasions as well as winning a best and fairest award in just over 100 games with the Swans.

Bernie Vince was drafted by Adelaide at this selection and won a best and fairest for both the Crows and Melbourne across 229 games, while Daniel Giansiracusa booted 331 goals in 265 games for the Western Bulldogs after being drafted as a local from the Western Jets.

Pick 33: Brad Hill (selected by Hawthorn in 2011)
The slick midfielder has been a journeyman in his 277 games to date. After being selected by Hawthorn, where he played in three premierships, he moved to Fremantle and won a best and fairest award before joining St Kilda where he continues to produce exciting football.

Hill gets the nod ahead of another group of great achievers at selection 33, which includes Craig Bolton, Shaun Hart and Jeremy Howe.

After starting his career with the Brisbane Lions, Bolton became a dual All Australian defender and premiership player for the Sydney Swans; Hart was the 2001 Norm Smith medallist and a triple premiership player in 273 games for the Brisbane Lions, while highflyer Howe has played 273 games for Melbourne and Collingwood and featured in the Magpies’ 2023 premiership.

Pick 34: Max Gawn (selected by Melbourne in 2009)
The star Melbourne ruck has made pick 34 a one-act affair. An eight-time All Australian, Gawn has won three best and fairest awards in 247 games for the Demons and was captain of their 2021 premiership team.

He sits ahead of three-time Hawthorn premiership midfielder Liam Shiels, who played 288 games for the Hawks and North Melbourne, as well as Sydney Swans’ midfielder Daryn Cresswell (244 games, All Australian, Sydney Swans Team of the Century) and Collingwood excitement machine Leon Davis (225 games, two-time All Australian).

Pick 35: Toby Nankervis (selected by Sydney in 2013)
A triple premiership player with Richmond and the club’s current captain, Nankervis has had a remarkable journey after being drafted to Sydney at selection 35 in 2013. Traded to the Tigers after just 12 games for the Swans, he’s now played 179 AFL matches and established himself as one of the premier rucks in the competition.

Another Tiger to make his mark at this point was triple premiership player David Astbury, who became a pillar in defence for Richmond across 155 games after being drafted from the GWV Rebels in 2009.

Chris Bond was also a worthy contender, after playing 163 games for Carlton, Richmond and Fremantle.

Pick 36: Sam Mitchell (selected by Hawthorn in 2001)
The absolute standout at this choice, Mitchell was overlooked in the AFL Draft numerous times before Hawthorn selected him from their aligned VFL side, the Box Hill Hawks, in 2001.

A four-time premiership player, five-time best and fairest winner and three-time All Australian, Mitchell also won the Brownlow Medal and AFL Rising Star award in one of the game’s most decorated careers. He was duly inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame in 2023.

Ironically another player overlooked on numerous occasions who has become a success story is Geelong’s Shaun Mannagh, who taken at this selection from VFL club Werribee in the 2023 Draft and is now carving out a productive career with the Cats.

Pick 37: Leigh Montagna (selected by St Kilda in 2001)
Twice an All Australian across 287 games with St Kilda, Montagna was also a placegetter in the Saints’ best and fairest award, the Trevor Barker Medal, on five occasions and represented Australia five times against the Irish in International Rules football.

I’ve judged him ahead of former West Coast Eagles premiership forward and All Australian Mark LeCras, who kicked 441 goals in 219 games, and star ruckman Todd Goldstein who played 345 games for North Melbourne and Essendon, highlighted by winning the Kangaroos’ best and fairest in 2015 when he was also named in the All Australian Team.

Pick 38: Cameron Ling (selected by Geelong in 1999)
Originally overlooked in the 1998 Draft, Ling became a triple premiership player (including premiership captain in 2011) in 246 games for Geelong. He also earned All Australian honours and won the Cats’ best and fairest award in a career that has since seen him made a Legend in Geelong’s Hall of Fame.

Another great success story at pick 38 was Brendan Fevola, a dual Coleman Medal winner who booted 623 goals in 204 games for Carlton and the Brisbane Lions, in an often spectacular career that featured selection in the All Australian Team three times.

Pick 39: Travis Cloke (selected by Collingwood in 2004)
A premiership player and two-time All Australian, Cloke kicked 452 goals across 256 games for Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs. One of the game’s best contested marks, he also won the Magpies’ best and fairest award.

Among those who will be in contention in future years are Sydney Swans midfielder Chad Warner, who has already earned All Australian honours in 108 games to date, and 2025 All Australian defender Josh Battle, who has played 149 games for Hawthorn and St Kilda and continues to add to his growing reputation.

Pick 40: Gary Ablett Jnr (selected by Geelong in 2001)
The undisputed best at pick 40 is arguably the best to play the game. Across his 357-game career for Geelong and the Gold Coast Suns, Ablett Jnr was an eight-time All Australian who won two Brownlow Medals and two premierships. He was also a six-time club best and fairest winner and claimed the Leigh Matthews Trophy as the AFLCA’s Player of the Year on five occasions.

Adding to the superstars taken at this pick is Geelong defender Tom Stewart, who is already a five-time All Australian, dual best and fairest winner and premiership player in his brilliant 191-game career to date.

The Sydney Swans have also shown you can find champions at pick 40, with Michael O’Loughlin and Luke Parker both drafted with this selection. Both are premiership players, All Australians and Sydney best and fairest winners, with O’Loughlin booting 521 goals in 303 games while Parker, who joined North Melbourne this year, has now notched 315 games.

Keep updated with all the latest news ahead of the 2025 Telstra AFL Draft at the AFL Draft Hub.