While much of the focus in the lead-up to the NAB AFL Draft is around the top selections, history shows many of the league’s best players have fallen down the order.
Take the competition’s games’ record holder for example; Brent Harvey, selected with pick 47 in the 1995 National Draft. He went on to play 432 games.
But while Harvey is the obvious standout for North, he’s not the only one who can be considered a Draft bargain.
In part one of our two part series, NMFC.com.au looks back at the Roos’ best selections throughout the 80’s and 90’s.
1988 – Pick 18 – Anthony Stevens – 292 NMFC games
In the early days, the Draft was very much a lottery, with several of the top selections failing to even play a game.
Stevens was a relatively early pick, at selection 18, but when you consider only three men in the top 20 played over 100 games (Stevens, Leon Cameron and Chris Naish), he was a bargain.
Drafted from Shepparton, Stevens played 292 games, was a two-time premiership player, two-time best and fairest and an All-Australian.
In 2013, The Herald Sun listed the midfielder at pick three in their revised Draft feature, only behind Chris Grant (originally pick 105) and Michael Long (originally pick 23).
1992 – Pick 55 – Matthew Capuano – 55 NMFC games
The ruckman was a key pillar in the Roos’ premierships in 1996 and 1999, forming a strong combination with Corey McKernan.
1992 – Pick 98 – Adrian McAdam – 36 NMFC games
It’s not often a player with 36 career games brings back memories for North fan, but McAdam certainly does that.
The Northern Territory recruit burst onto the scene in his first game, kicking a remarkable seven goals on debut in Round 5 of 1993.
By the end of his first year, he’d kicked 68 majors.
A bag of five early in ’94 continued his amazing run, but the goals dried up thereafter. After 22 goals that year, he played just one further AFL game.
He later admitted he didn’t work hard enough as opposition clubs started to work him out.
"That's happened to a few unknowns who have burst on the scene and then not lasted, although none of them would have been more talented than Adrian,” teammate Wayne Carey said.
1993 – Pick 46 – David King – 241 NMFC games
In a year North also landed a future 306-gamer, Adam Simpson, David King waited until pick 46 before his name was read out.
King wasn’t necessarily a star at VFL level, but clearly the North recruiters took notice of the pacy Port Melbourne player.
Skillful and aggressive, the 21-year-old played 19 senior games in his first season under Denis Pagan, and ultimately never looked back.
Throughout 11 seasons, he never played less than 19 games, amassing 241 appearances in the royal blue and white.
He was twice an All-Australian and played in the Roos’ 1996 and 1999 premiership sides.
The Herald Sun had King at number three in their revised Draft feature.
1995 – Pick 47 – Brent Harvey – 432 NMFC games
Among the Roos’ all-time greats, Harvey was one of the stars of the under 18 competition, winning All-Australian selection and named Victoria’s best player. He was also best-on-ground in the Northern Knights’ premiership win.
Nevertheless, at just 167 centimetres, recruiters had doubts he’d make it.
“Obviously size was a huge concern, but he had a few things going for him,” then recruiting manager Neville Stibbard recalled years later.
“He had outstanding elite skills, elite in the athletic side and his understanding and game sense was elite.”
After he’d been overlooked 46 picks into the Draft, even North had reservations on Harvey.
“He was tiny and at that stage somebody said to me he’s smaller than (jockey) Darren Gauci,” Denis Pagan recalled.
Of course, the Roos did take the punt, and the rest is history.
432 games and 21 seasons later, Brent Harvey would go down as an AFL champion.
1996 – Pick 42 – Martin Pike – 81 NMFC games
Pike was left without a club after Fitzroy’s demise, but was handed a lifeline with the 42nd selection in the 1996 National Draft.
Working off half-back and across the wings, Pike earned a State of Origin nod in 1998, then played in the Roos’ fourth premiership in 1999.
His spell at North was somewhat short-lived, only four seasons, but he was a key player in a successful period for the club.
He later played in three Brisbane premiership sides.
1996 – Pick 67 – Byron Pickett - 120 NMFC games
North was lucky to land Pickett with the 67th selection, after he’d played junior football in Port Lincoln and was targeted by the Power.
He quickly earned a reputation as one of the AFL’s toughest players and was also known for his ability to stand up in big games.
Pickett was one of just nine players in the ’96 Draft crop to play 200 games, 120 of those at North, before stints at Port Adelaide, where he won a Norm Smith Medal, and Melbourne.
1998 – Pick 85 – Shannon Motlop - 54 NMFC games
The fourth-last selection in the ’98 Draft, Motlop debuted in Round 10 of the following year.
While he only played 54 games for North, Motlop had a key role in the Roos’ 1999 premiership, booting two goals.
He finished his career at Melbourne.
1999 – Pick 81 – Troy Makepeace - 139 NMFC games
North had its first pick in the ’99 Draft at pick 53, but Makepeace had to wait until pick 81 to hear his name called out.
By Round 4, 2000, Makepeace was in the Roos’ side and wasn’t displaced for the remainder of the season.
A running half-back, he played 139 games, representing Australia in the International Rules Series in 2007.
