WA AFL Draft Watch 2010's RewindTuesday, November 12, 2019 - 11:24 AM

Since 2010, over 1000 prospects have been drafted to an AFL Club, with over 150 players coming from Western Australia.

It makes for a successful decade for the West Australian Talent Pathways programs, especially given the number of players who have really flourished at the highest level.

Below are the five best players from WA to be drafted this decade (in alphabetical order).

PATRICK CRIPPS

Draft: 2013 (#13 – National Draft)

AFL Club: Carlton

WAFL Club: East Fremantle

Junior Club: Northampton

The Northampton Junior was the second West Australian and 13th overall pick in the 2013 NAB AFL Draft. Since his arrival at the Blues, Cripps has gone on to become a top-three midfielder in the AFL with his explosiveness, clearance work and contested style of play wowing many AFL fans. He has won three Best & Fairests (2015, 2018, 2019), two All-Australian selections (2018, 2019), the 2019 Leigh Matthews Trophy, three top ten-placings in the Brownlow (2016: 18 votes (8th), 2018: 20 votes (4th), 2019: 26 votes (3rd)) and finished second in the 2015 Rising Star Award. In 101 AFL games, Cripps has kicked 47 goals and is currently averaging 26 possessions (16 contested), 8 clearances, 6 tackles, 4 marks and 3 inside 50s.
 

JASON JOHANNISEN

Draft: 2010 (#39 – Rookie Draft)

AFL Club: Western Bulldogs

WAFL Club: East Fremantle

Junior Club: Willetton JFC

Since being picked in the 2010 Rookie Draft, the South African has gone on to become a top-ten small-medium defender in the AFL. Johannisen is best known for his starring role in the 2016 AFL Grand Final (33 possessions, 9 inside 50s, 7 rebounding 50s & 7 marks) where he won the Norm Smith Medal as he helped guide the Bulldogs to their first VFL/AFL Premiership since 1954. He was also a member of the Bulldogs’ VFL premiership in 2014, won the 2015 Tony Liberatore Most Improved Award and has five top-ten Best & Fairest placings (2015: 6th, 2016: 10th, 2017: 2nd, 2018: 6th, 2019: 4th). In 126 AFL games, Johannisen has booted 41 goals and is currently averaging 20 possessions, 4 marks, 3 inside 50s, 3 rebounding 50s and 2 tackles.
 

JEREMY McGOVERN

Draft: 2010 (#44 – Rookie Draft)

AFL Club: West Coast Eagles

WAFL Club: Claremont

Junior Club: North Albany

Originally recruited as a forward-ruck, McGovern has gone on to arguably be the best key defender in the AFL, due to the way he reads the play, often intercepting the opposition’s attacking entry, and his ability to take contested overhead marks. What’s even more remarkable about McGovern’s rise is that it took him four years to make his debut (Round 6 of the 2014 AFL season at age 22) and that in 2013 he was banished from the club for turning up to pre-season significantly overweight. Since his debut, McGovern has played 126 AFL games, won All-Australian selection on four occasions (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019), won the 2014 WCE Rookie of the Year and has four top 10-placings in West Coast’s Best and Fairest (2016: 6th, 2017: 2nd, 2018: 6th, 2019: 6th). He has booted 36 goals and averages 15 possessions (7 contested), 7 marks and 3 rebounding 50s.
 

TIM KELLY

Draft: 2017 (#24 – National Draft)

AFL Clubs: Geelong Cats (2018 – 2019), West Coast Eagles (2020 -)

WAFL Club: South Fremantle

Junior Club: Palmyra JFC

After a stunning WAFL campaign for South Fremantle in 2017, including a runner-up placing in the Sandover Medal, Kelly was drafted to the Geelong Cats with pick #24 in the 2017 NAB AFL Draft. In his two years of AFL football, Kelly has rapidly become one of the absolute premier midfielders of the competition. In 48 games for Geelong, he has kicked 48 goals and averaged 24 possessions (11 contested), 5 clearances, 4 inside 50s, 4 tackles and 3 marks. He finished second in Geelong’s Best and Fairest in both 2018 and 2019, fourth in the 2019 Brownlow Medal, 10th in the 2018 Brownlow Medal, won All-Australian selection on the wing in 2019, won the 2019 AFLCA Best Young Player Award and the 2018 AFLPA Best First Year Player.

TOM MITCHELL

Draft: 2011 (#21 – Father/Son Selection – National Draft)

AFL Clubs: Sydney (2012 - 2016), Hawthorn (2017 - )

WAFL Club: Claremont

Junior Clubs: Hale School (WA), Carey Grammar (Victoria), Ashburton JFC (Victoria)

Despite not playing a game in 2019 due to a broken leg, Mitchell is still considered to be one of the best midfielders in the AFL. He won the 2018 Brownlow Medal, finished second in the 2017 Brownlow Medal, won the 2018 Leigh Matthews Trophy, two Hawthorn Best & Fairests (2017, 2018), two All-Australian selections (2017, 2018), the 2018 Lou Richards Medal and the Andrew Ireland Medal. He also had two top-ten placings in Sydney’s Best and Fairest (2015: 9th, 2016: 8th). In 111 games (Sydney: 65, Hawthorn: 46), Mitchell has booted 61 goals and is currently averaging 29 possessions (13 contested), 6 tackles, 5 clearances, 4 marks, and 4 inside 50s. Originally from Melbourne, Mitchell made the move to Western Australia in 2009 as a 15-year-old after his father, Barry, became an Assistant Coach with Fremantle.

THE BEST OF THE REST – DRAFT ORDER