Ranking the best AFL National Draft top fives of the 21st century

Every year, clubs battle amongst themselves to push up to the top of the National Draft, with top five picks especially carrying significant weight.

In 2024, Carlton did this by moving heaven and earth to get to pick three of a draft class many are very excited about.

The question remains, just how often does the top 5 generate a superstar? The answer is boring – it depends on the draft class.

Some years the top of the draft is littered with superstars – take 2001 for example. The top three picks were Luke Hodge, Luke Ball and Chris Judd. Handy.

Other drafts have higher variance like 2009 with Tom Scully, Jack Trengove, Dustin Martin, Anthony Morabito and Ben Cunnington.

And then there are years with lower ceilings overall. 2010 fit this mould with David Swallow, Harley Bennell, Sam Day, Andrew Gaff and Jared Polec.

Obviously, there are few bust picks littered around in some drafts, but you’re generally getting a handy AFL player in the top five.

But which draft of the 2000s has produced the best crop of players out of the top five? They’re hard to split, but we’ve attempted to rank them from best to worst.

We’ve used some future projection based on what we’ve seen to include recent drafts.

See our rankings from best to worst below:

1st - 2021 National Draft

Jason Horne-Francis, Sam Darcy, Finn Callaghan, Nick Daicos, Mac Andrew

No draft in the 21st century has gone 5/5 with stars from the first five picks yet, but 2021 just might be the first.

Horne-Francis, Daicos and Darcy are already on track to be greats of their respective clubs, while the Suns have paid Mac Andrew like one after a breakout season.

Callaghan has enormous potential too and even if he’s 5th of this group, still looms as a 200+ game AFL midfielder. This is the best top five of the last 24 drafts.

2nd - 2005 National Draft

Marc Murphy, Dale Thomas, Xavier Ellis, Josh Kennedy, Scott Pendlebury

The collective resume of this five is bloody impressive too. Five premierships, 11 All-Australian blazers, seven B&Fs, two club games record holders and two club captains.

Pendlebury might be Collingwood’s greatest ever player, Kennedy is certainly West Coast’s greatest ever goal kicker, Thomas and Murphy both had outstanding peaks and Ellis is a premiership Hawk.

An elite group, this.

3rd - 2004 National Draft

Brett Deledio, Jarryd Roughead, Ryan Griffen, Richard Tambling, Lance Franklin

Did you know this group of five combined for 2065 AFL goals across their careers? Yes, Buddy kicked half of those, but still!

Lance Franklin alone would put a draft crop inside the top 10 of this list, but throw in premiership teammate and Coleman Medallist Jarryd Roughead plus two genuine stars in Deledio and Griffen and you’ve got yourself a banger group.

No shade will be thrown here at Richard Tambling either, who played 124 AFL games and kicked 62 goals himself. He just wasn't Buddy.

4th - 2001 National Draft

Luke Hodge, Luke Ball, Chris Judd, Graham Polak, Xavier Clarke

Controversial? Too low? I’m sure many instinctively thought this would hold the no.1 slot on this list.

It’s a high bar to clear. You’ve got two of the best players of the era with Hodge and Judd, while Luke Ball is a champion in his own right.

You’ve then got two 100-gamers in Polak and Clarke who were certainly serviceable for their clubs.

Sits just outside the top three thanks to the firepower up above.

5th - 2018 National Draft

Sam Walsh, Jack Lukosius, Izak Rankine, Max King, Connor Rozee

The 2018 National Draft is widely regarded as one of the best of modern times and the top five is no different.

Rozee is already a club captain, Rankine would’ve been an All-Australian this year if not for injury, Walsh has an All-Australian blazer and a Mark of the Year to his name, King is a few injury niggles away from being a champion goal kicker for the Saints and Lukosius gets a fresh start at the Power.

6th - 2015 National Draft

Jacob Weitering, Josh Schache, Callum Mills, Clayton Oliver, Darcy Parish

Another very strong group, with Weitering, Mills and Oliver all stars of the competition in different ways. A star key defender, a club captain and a dominant inside midfielder at his best respectively.

Darcy Parish is no slouch either, remaining a top-line midfielder for the Bombers, while Josh Schache has had more of a journeyman career as a key forward.

7th - 2022 National Draft

Aaron Cadman, Will Ashcroft, Harry Sheezel, George Wardlaw, Elijah Tsatas

This is one where we’re going to need a bit of future projection … but not actually as much as you’d think.

Ashcroft already has a Norm Smith Medal. Sheezel won a best and fairest in his first season. There’s your next generation of superstars right there.

And that’s before George Wardlaw, who feels like the best bet for breakout player of 2025.

There’s still plenty of time for Aaron Cadman to continue developing as a key forward and Elijah Tsatas as a midfielder as well.

8th - 2014 National Draft

Paddy McCartin, Christian Petracca, Angus Brayshaw, Jarrod Pickett, Jordan De Goey

Christian Petracca is obviously the headliner here, taken at pick two to the Demons and now sits as one of the game’s great current players.

Angus Brayshaw had an outstanding carer in his own right, while Jordan De Goey’s peaks, including multiple Grand Final performances, speak for themselves.

Paddy McCartin also had his career cut short by concussions, but played some very solid footy for the Swans as a key defender, while Jarrod Pickett never really broke out for the Giants or Blues.

9th - 2017 National Draft

Cam Rayner, Andrew Brayshaw, Paddy Dow, Luke Davies-Uniacke, Adam Cerra

Three current A-graders with Rayner, Brayshaw and LDU, while Cerra remains capable of hitting that ceiling. A very solid draft. Dow has a second shot at building his AFL career at the Saints.

10th - 2009 National Draft

Tom Scully, Jack Trengove, Dustin Martin, Anthony Morabito, Ben Cunnington

One of the most high-variance top fives here. Martin - three Norm Smith Medals (still insane to think about), Cunnington has 238 games to his name as a midfielder leader at the Roos, Scully played 189 games as one of the best wingmen of the decade, Trengove was a club captain and Morabito's career was hit hard by constant injuries.

11th - 2002 National Draft

Brendon Goddard, Daniel Wells, Jared Brennan, Tim Walsh, Jarrad McVeigh

Goddard and McVeigh were superstars their entire careers and captained Essendon and Sydney respectively.

Wells had some incredible peaks, even if injury never let him become the full-blown superstar he was destined to be, while Brennan similarly had flashes of brilliance for the Lions and Suns.

12th - 2008 National Draft

Jack Watts, Nic Naitanui, Stephen Hill, Hamish Hartlett, Michael Hurley

Five players who all played 150 AFL games is a great start and a clear sign of the talents of this group.

Naitanui is the clear headliner here as one of the great ruckmen of the 21st century – a three-time All-Australian and two-time best and fairest winner.

Hartlett, Hurley and Hill all had great one-club careers, while Watts was obviously a little more turbulent but still finished with 174 games and 161 goals to his name – nothing to sneeze at.

13th - 2000 National Draft

Nick Riewoldt, Justin Koschitzke, Alan Didak, Luke Livingstone, Andrew McDougall

Another 1,291 goals between this group, led of course by Riewoldt’s 718 snags across 336 magnificent games of footy.

Koschitzke and Didak both had outstanding careers in their own right up forward as well.

14th - 2023 National Draft

Harley Reid, Colby McKercher, Jed Walter, Zane Duursma, Nick Watson

The hype surrounding Reid certainly lived up to expectations in his first season of footy, with the Eagle potentially one of the game’s next true superstars.

His greatness (and a few injury issues) likely overshadowed what were some great performances by McKercher, who already looks like a ball magnet with a great kick.

Wizard Watson had an enormous impact on Hawthorn on the field and culturally in his first season, kicking 25 goals from 18 games. Walter and Duursma will need time to develop as taller forward prospects. Potential for this group to climb up higher.

15th - 2019 National Draft

Matt Rowell, Noah Anderson, Luke Jackson, Lachie Ash, Dylan Stephens

This draft is still finding its stride, but you've got two A-grade midfielders in very different ways with Rowell and Anderson leading the way.

Jackson has shown he is capable of dominating games in the ruck, while Lachie Ash is developing nicely across half-back for the Giants.

16th - 2013 National Draft

Tom Boyd, Josh Kelly, Jack Billings, Marcus Bontempelli, Kade Kolodjashnij

Marcus Bontempelli has probably been the best player in the competition for five years now. Josh Kelly is going to be a near-300-game midfielder and Tom Boyd is a Grand Final hero.

Even at 16th, excellent group overall.

17th - 2003 National Draft

Adam Cooney, Andrew Walker, Colin Sylvia, Farren Ray, Brock McLean

Adam Cooney would win a Brownlow Medal in his 5th year post this draft, while Andrew Walker and the late Colin Sylvia were both high-impact forwards at their best.

Ray and McLean were both quality midfield role players who had lengthy careers. This group combined for 981 AFL games.

18th - 2006 National Draft

Bryce Gibbs, Scott Gumbleton, Ash Hansen, Matthew Leuenberger, Travis Boak

Travis Boak is making his way towards the verge of 400 games, while Bryce Gibbs had an excellent career in navy blue.

Gumbleton's career was derailed by injuries, though Hansen and Leuenberger had their moments.

19th - 2007 National Draft

Matthew Kreuzer, Trent Cotchin, Chris Masten, Cale Morton, Jarrad Grant

Trent Cotchin is a triple premiership skipper and Brownlow Medalist and Matthew Kreuzer was an elite ruckman when healthy, but not a whole heap otherwise to write home about in 2007.

20th - 2020 National Draft

Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, Riley Thithorpe, Will Phillips, Logan McDonald, Braeden Campbell

Super hard to really judge the COVID draft, given recruiters had no exposed form to work with here. However, the three key forwards have all started their careers nicely and have shown plenty of potential. This group could climb the rankings in the future.

21st - 2016 National Draft

Andrew McGrath, Tim Taranto, Hugh McCluggage, Ben Ainsworth, Will Setterfield

A lower ceiling on this one, with the exception of Hugh McCluggage who has been on the All-Australian cusp for a half-decade now.

Taranto, McGrath and Ainsworth are all getting the jobs done at their respective clubs, while Setterfield is at his third team, but had consistent injury issues.

22nd - 2012 National Draft

Lachie Whitfield, Jon O'Rourke, Lachie Plowman, Jimmy Toumpas, Jake Stringer

Side-note: The fact that the AFL's three expansion drafts rank as the bottom three on this list is unfortunate... and something worthy of deeper consideration.

Whitfield and Stringer have both become All-Australian players, however.

23rd - 2010 National Draft

David Swallow, Harley Bennell, Sam Day, Andrew Gaff, Jared Polec

Swallow has quietly worked his way to 240 games for the Suns, without too many peaks or valleys.

Gaff will likely be remembered as one of the great wingmen of the 2010s, while Day and Polec have both had long careers. Bennell a case of not reaching his full potential.

24th - 2011 National Draft

Jon Patton, Stephen Coniglio, Dom Tyson, Will Hoskin-Elliott, Matt Buntine

The Giants and list boss Stephen Silvagni were kids in a candy store in 2011, owning the entire top five.

Outside of Coniglio, this didn't work out great for them, though Hoskin-Elliott has had a great career at Collingwood.

But given they held 11 of the top 14 picks, they could really have selected them in any order they wanted...