Hit or miss: Every club's first round history
- Jan 27
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 2
Who has made the most of their early draft picks...
Beat Mike originally went into the 2026 Nanas Draft with three first round picks at the ready before trading with Nana Winner and Future Players. That year, Coach Roberts traded Caleb Serong and Pick 25 (Riley Bonner) for Pick 2 (Harry Sheezel) and Pick 4 (Bailey Humphrey), as well as drafting Mattaes Philippou at Pick 7. Fleeced?
2019 (Inaugural Draft): Tom Mitchell @ 7
2020: Nick Haynes @ 3
2021: Will Brodie @ 7
2022: Will Brodie @ 4; Patrick Lipinski @ 5
2023: Harry Sheezel @ 2; Bailey Humphrey @ 4; Mattaes Philippou @ 7
2024: Darcy Wilson @ 6
2025: Tom Liberatore @ 7
2026: Sam Cumming @ 10
Before you look closely at Mundy And Boak's drafting history, it's important to remember Nanas coaches drafted seasoned players early until around about the 2023 Draft. Unfortunately for Coach Carruthers, his two picks that year were Elijah Tsatas and Cam Mackenzie.
2019: Patrick Cripps @ 2
2020: Brandan Parfitt @ 7
2021: Kane Lambert @ 3; Nick Hind @ 6
2022: N/A
2023: Elijah Tsatas @ 5; Cam Mackenzie @ 8
2024: Caleb Windsor @ 5
2025: Levi Ashcroft @ 2; Hugo Garcia @ 8
2026: Zeke Uwland @ 2; Lachlan Carmichael @ 9
A pick swap with reigning premiers Heeney Some Milk in 2022 saw Coach JMHQB land Pick 1 (Nick Daicos) for Pick 2 (Josh Rachele) and Pick 7 (Jack Graham). The Jammers had a quiet couple drafts following that until benefitting from a Sam Lalor draft day slide in 2025.
2019: Max Gawn @ 4
2020: Chris Mayne @ 5
2021: Jack Higgins @ 1
2022: Nick Daicos @ 1
2023: Sam Powell-Pepper @ 6
2024: Finlay Macrae @ 7; Zane Duursma @ 8
2025: Sam Lalor @ 5
2026: Jacob Farrow @ 7
Pick 13 is where Nana Winner's draft day usually falls apart, bur since 2022 Coach Manthorpe has nailed his club's traditional Pick 3 slot. Jason Horne-Francis landed in Manthorpe's lap in 2022 after Holland opted for Josh Rachele instead, while Harley Reid and Jagga Smith also joined Nana Winner with Pick 3.
2019: Patrick Dangerfield @ 5
2020: Rory Atkins @ 4
2021: Liam Baker @ 8
2022: Jason Horne-Francis @ 3
2023: N/A
2024: Harley Reid @ 3
2025: Jagga Smith @ 3; Harvey Langford @ 4
2026: Willem Duursma @ 1; Sam Grlj @ 3; Daniel Annable @ 4
After falling for the Alex Sexton hype in 2024, Heeney Some Milk wisely traded out of the first round for the first time the following year. Coach Holland has done so again for the 2026 draft, trading two first rounders for Jack Steele late last season.
2019: Clayton Oliver @ 6
2020: Matt Rowell @ 1; Tom Green @ 2
2021: Daniel Rich @ 2
2022: Josh Rachele @ 2; Jack Graham @ 6
2023: Jayden Short @ 9
2024: Alex Sexton @ 4
2025: N/A
2026: N/A
Max's Team has hardly missed in the first round with the Max Holmes selection in 2022 proving everyone in the room at the time wrong. Coach Read traded out of the first round in 2026 for the first time since 2020 as his side officially enters win now mode.
2019: Brodie Grundy @ 1
2020: N/A
2021: Jordan Clark @ 5
2022: Max Holmes @ 8
2023: Will Ashcroft @ 1
2024: Colby McKercher @ 1
2025: Finn O’Sullivan @ 6
2026: N/A
There will come a time where Coach Fienemann has to do some research on young guns ahead of draft day, but despite the lack of preparation, Gabe's Team usually walks out of draft day with some handy win-now pick-ups. The recent Darcy Parish for Dyson Sharp trade is a perfect example.
2019: Matt Crouch @ 8
2020: Sam Powell-Pepper @ 6
2021: Kyle Langford @ 4
2022: N/A
2023: Isaac Smith @ 10
2024: N/A
2025: Joel Freijah @ 9
2026: N/A
Still dealing with the fallout after selecting Sid Draper with the No. 1 pick, Coach Rapaic traded away his future in a new-look 'players over picks' strategy. However, Future Players found their way back into the first round of the 2026 draft, taking Josh Lindsay and Tanner Bruhn to make it five first round selections in four seasons.
2023: N/A
2024: Ryley Sanders @ 2; Henry Hustwaite @ 9
2025: Sid Draper @ 1
2026: Josh Lindsay @ 5; Tanner Bruhn @ 6
The Catholic Church made just its third first round selection, excluding the 2019 inaugural draft, on Sunday night as Coach Hedges traded Darcy Parish for Gabe's Team's Pick 8. Parish made way for rookie Dyson Sharp, potentially signalling the end of the Choir Boys' time up top.
2019: Jack Macrae @ 3
2020: Bayley Fritsch @ 8
2021: N/A
2022: Josh Ward @ 7
2023: N/A
2024: N/A
2025: N/A
2026: Dyson Sharp @ 8
Coach Moore traded out and back into the first round in 2024 and 2025, but sat out of the first round in the 2026 Nanas Draft for the first time. In 2025, The Berries were eyeing off Joel Freijah with Pick 10 in 2025 but he was snagged up by Coach Fienemann with Pick 9.
2023: Sam Flanders @ 3
2024: Zac Fisher @ 10
2025: Tobie Travaglia @ 10
2026: N/A
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