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Recent AFL drafting history: Every club, every pick

Photo by Michael Dodge/Getty Images

The 2016 AFL draft has been billed as one of the deepest and most talented of all time, but before you get your hopes up about your club recruiting the competition's next big star, ask yourself this: just how successful has your team been at the draft in recent years?

We've analysed every selection since 2010 to identify your side's best and worst picks, as well as that one junior star who got away.

Click here to view the 2016 draft order.

Adelaide

Since 2010, the Crows have not had a pick inside the top 10 and have had just four first-rounders in total. The Kurt Tippett debacle in 2012 also made drafting difficult when the Crows were stripped of their two top picks. However, some clever rookie elevations prove that drafting well isn't always dependant on high picks.

Best pick-up: Jake Lever (Pick No. 14, 2014)
Biggest steal: Rory Laird (Pick No. 86, 2012 - originally selected as a rookie in 2011)
Biggest bust: Nicholas Joyce (Pick No. 46, 2011)
Missed opportunity: Adelaide will wish they had've taken Zach Merrett in 2013. The Bombers star was picked up at No. 26 -- three places after the talented but inconsistent Matt Crouch -- and Merrett has turned into the classy midfielder the Crows now crave.

Brisbane

Despite having five top-10 picks since 2010, the Lions haven't managed to unearth a star, and what's worse, only two of the five remain at the club. The 2011 draft is a perfect example of how Brisbane have drafted reasonably well in the second and third rounds - but holding onto players has become the issue. Their top three selections from that draft (Billy Longer, Sam Docherty and Elliot Yeo) are now at other clubs.

Best pick-up: Elliot Yeo (Pick No. 30, 2011)
Biggest steal: Rhys Mathieson (Pick No. 39, 2015)
Biggest bust: Sam Mayes (Pick No. 8, 2012)
Missed opportunity: In 2014, the Lions gave up pick No. 5 in order to secure Dayne Beams -- who has played just 18 games in two seasons -- and that selection may have yielded a greater reward if they chose emerging Gold Coast big man Peter Wright (pick No. 8), who would pose a fearsome duo with 2015 No. 2 draft pick Josh Schache.

Carlton

First round selections have been Carlton's Achilles heel since 2010. The Blues will be thrilled to have selected Patrick Cripps who has blossomed into one of the game's elite clearance players, and Jacob Weitering who looks to be a 10-year star defender for the club. However, their other four first-round picks have been disappointing (Matthew Watson, Josh Bootsma, Troy Menzel and Blaine Boekhorst).

Best pick-up: Patrick Cripps (Pick No. 13, 2013)
Biggest steal: Ed Curnow (Pick No. 89, 2013 - originally selected as a rookie in 2011)
Biggest bust: Josh Bootsma (Pick No. 22, 2011)
Missed opportunity: The Blues had two picks early in the 2010 draft that failed to deliver with Matthew Watson (18) and Patrick McCarthy (34) combining for just 24 games. Victorian-born Luke Parker -- who finished second in the 2016 Brownlow Medal -- slipped through Carlton's fingers and was snapped up with pick No. 40 by the Swans.

Collingwood

It's been slim pickings at the draft since the Magpies won the 2010 premiership with just eight top-30 selections in six years. The picks of the crop would be father-son forward hopeful Darcy Moore, who looked set for a breakout season in 2016 before injuries took their toll, and promising ruckman Brodie Grundy (Pick No. 18, 2012).

Best pick-up: Darcy Moore (Pick No. 9, 2014)
Biggest steal: Alex Fasolo (Pick No. 45, 2010)
Biggest bust: Nathan Freeman (Pick No. 10, 2013)
Missed opportunity: It's still very early but if the Magpies had their time over again at the 2014 draft, Jake Lever may be a lot higher up the priority list than Jordan De Goey. The Crows backman was selected with pick No. 14, nine places later than De Goey at pick No. 5, and already plays like a seasoned star. With defensive stocks low and small forwards aplenty, it's only natural for Pies fans to dream about what may have been.

Essendon

It's been a tumultuous few years for Essendon, which culminated in 34 past or present players serving a one-year suspension. Nevertheless the Bombers -- who hold pick No. 1 in the 2016 draft -- have managed to recruit half a dozen quality players through a mixture of father-son, rookie promotion and high selections.

Best pick-up: Dyson Heppell (Pick No. 8, 2010)
Biggest steal: Zach Merrett (Pick No. 26, 2013)
Biggest bust: Elliot Kavanagh (Pick No. 19, 2011)
Missed opportunity: On the surface, failing to select Tim Membrey may appear far from a disaster, but the 22-year-old, who has become a reliable forward for the Saints, could have formed a dynamic attacking partnership with Joe Daniher if selected by the Bombers instead of Jason Ashby in 2012 with pick No. 34.

Fremantle

Zero top-10 picks for the Dockers since 2010 has made drafting elite talent difficult, but they've compensated well by promoting a number of classy rookies. Fremantle can also take credit for one of the best steals of the decade in young ball-magnet and midfield star Lachie Neale.

Best pick-up: Lachie Neale (Pick No. 58, 2011)
Biggest steal: Lee Spurr (Pick No. 93, 2012 - originally selected as a rookie in 2011)
Biggest bust: Josh Simpson (Pick No. 17, 2012)
Missed opportunity: Shane Kersten made the move to the Dockers during the 2016 trade period, but the former Cat could have stayed in his home state if Fremantle picked him up in 2011. Instead, the Dockers went for Alex Forster -- who played just one game -- with pick No. 29, while Kersten slipped through to No. 34. Who knows, maybe they would have claimed that maiden flag if Mathew Pavlich had some support.

Click here to view the 2016 draft order.

Geelong

The Cats have been one of the competition's benchmark sides over the past decade, but ironically, drafting has not been a strong point. They've elected to surrender a number of their early picks in recent years in order to land some high-profile recruits, while their second and third round picks have resulted in plenty of busts.

Best pick-up: Cameron Guthrie (Pick No. 23, 2010)
Biggest steal: Mark Blicavs (Pick No. 54, 2011)
Biggest bust: Jarrad Jansen (Pick No. 36, 2013)
Missed opportunity: Geelong had an opportunity to add some dash to their aging backline in 2010 by picking up Shaun Atley. The Cats took Billie Smedts -- who has managed just 11 games in the past three years -- with pick No. 15, while Atley, picked up at No. 17, has been one of North Melbourne's most consistent through his 132 games.

Gold Coast

Like cross-town rival Brisbane, retaining players is proving to be an issue for the Suns. Since joining the AFL, Gold Coast have had 11 top-10 picks, yet only six of those remain at the club. However, as some sort of consolation, they've managed to uncover some handy players deeper in the draft.

Best pick-up: Tom Lynch (Pick No. 11, 2010)
Biggest steal: Aaron Hall (Pick No. 7, 2011 - Pre-season draft)
Biggest bust: Jack Leslie (Pick No. 20, 2013)
Missed opportunity: Since being recruited by the Eagles in 2010, Andrew Gaff has established himself as one of the game's premier outside runners. Gaff was taken at pick No. 4, after the Suns selected David Swallow, Harley Bennell and Sam Day with the draft's first three selections. Did they make the right call?

Greater Western Sydney

With 17 top-10 draft picks in five years, the Giants were bound to strike gold, and strike gold they did. GWS have quickly become the envy of the competition after recruiting an abundance of young talent that look set to enter into one of the greatest dynasties the AFL has ever seen. The 2011 draft has proved to be a major winner for them, with many A-graders emerging.

Best pick-up: Stephen Coniglio (Pick No. 2, 2011)
Biggest steal: Zach Williams (Pick No. 95, 2013 - originally selected as a rookie in 2012)
Biggest bust: Jonathan O'Rourke (Pick No. 2, 2012)
Missed opportunity: It's hard to fault the Giants' drafting, but one player that could be seen as getting away would be Chad Wingard. At the 2011 draft GWS held the top five picks, but let the classy half-forward slip through to the Power at pick No. 6. Nevertheless, they could argue the correct decision was made with Wingard having family ties in South Australia.

Hawthorn

In recent years the Hawks have elected to build their team in the trade window as opposed to the national draft, and with three premierships since 2010, who can argue against that philosophy? This year was no exception with Hawthorn signing Jaeger O'Meara and Tom Mitchell among others, while their first pick is the lowly No. 88 which was received from West Coast in return for Sam Mitchell.

Best pick-up: Isaac Smith (Pick No. 19, 2010)
Biggest steal: Luke Breust (Pick No. 77, 2011 - originally selected as a rookie in 2009)
Biggest bust: Dayle Garlett (Pick No. 38, 2013)
Missed opportunity: The Hawks could have drafted exciting Swans defender Aliir Aliir in 2013, but opted against him for zero-gamer Dayle Garlett. Aliir was snapped up by Sydney with pick No. 44 and demonstrated great poise and skill in the back-half this year -- an area Hawthorn would surely have loved to bolster.

Melbourne

The Demons can be relatively pleased with their recent drafting efforts. In the space of four years they managed to draft a key forward (Jesse Hogan), key defender (Tom McDonald), ruckman (Max Gawn) and quality on-baller (Jack Viney). However, a couple of botched first-round selections will have left a sour taste in fans' mouths.

Best pick-up: Jesse Hogan (Pick No. 2, 2012 - GWS Mini-draft)
Biggest steal: Jack Viney (Pick No. 26, 2012)
Biggest bust: Jimmy Toumpas (Pick No. 4, 2012)
Missed opportunity: He can be hot and he can be cold, but one thing is certain; Jake Stringer is a star when on song. The Bulldogs premiership player -- who was selected with pick No. 5 in 2012 -- was snubbed by the Demons who opted for Toumpas with their pick No. 4. Just imagine a Jack Watts, Hogan and Stringer forward line.

North Melbourne

The Kangaroos have only debuted two of their eight draftees since 2014, which points towards a below par-effort at the draft considering six of those picks were in the top 36. What is pleasing from a North Melbourne perspective is, they've had some success in the back-half of the draft with Ben Brown, Sam Gibson and Majak Daw all being scooped up with bargain picks.

Best pick-up: Shaun Atley (Pick No. 17, 2010)
Biggest steal: Sam Gibson (Pick No. 76, 2012 - originally selected as a rookie in 2011)
Biggest bust: Taylor Garner (Pick No. 15, 2012)
Missed opportunity: Every single club could have drafted Lachie Neale in 2011, but the Kangaroos will see it as a bigger miss than most. The 23-year-old has become the most prolific ball accumulator in the league and can play inside and out. The Roos selected Tom Curran with pick No. 40 as Neale slipped down to pick No. 58.

Click here to view the 2016 draft order.

Port Adelaide

Two top-10 picks since 2010 for the Power and they've managed to draft a pair of young stars in Chad Wingard and Ollie Wines. Port Adelaide have also fared well with rookie promotions in recent times, with Tom Jonas, Kane Mitchell and Sam Gray all getting drafted through this avenue.

Best pick-up: Chad Wingard (Pick No. 6, 2011)
Biggest steal: Aaron Young (Pick No. 36, 2010)
Biggest bust: Ben Newton (Pick No. 35, 2010)
Missed opportunity: If the Power could take pick No. 35 of the 2010 draft again you can bet they'd be eyeing Alex Fasolo. The Magpies small forward has played 81 matches and continues improving every year. A player like Fasolo, who would likely play as a permanent small forward, would allow Robbie Gray to spend more of his time in the midfield.

Richmond

Of the 25 players the Tigers have picked up in the national draft since 2010, only three are yet to debut but unfortunately they have a knack for drafting too many average footballers. Reece Conca, Jake Batchelor, Nick Vlaustin and Brandon Ellis are handy, but none of them are yet to establish themselves as stars of the competition.

Best pick-up: Brandon Ellis (Pick No. 15, 2011)
Biggest steal: Sam Lloyd (Pick No. 66, 2013)
Biggest bust: Todd Elton (Pick No. 26, 2011)
Missed opportunity: Reliable Blues defender Sam Rowe could quite easily have become a Tiger in 2011. Richmond opted for Todd Elton -- a four-game player -- with pick No. 26, while Rowe, who could have formed a valuable defensive pairing with Alex Rance, was drafted with pick No. 44.

St Kilda

Despite 2012 being a horror draft for the Saints, overall they can be quite pleased with their recent selections. Patty McCartin was a welcome No. 1 pick, while Mav Weller, Jack Billings and Jade Gresham among others continue to improve each week. Strangely, the Saints have a very poor record with their second pick at the draft with only one player (Luke Dunstan) reaching 10 games.

Best pick-up: Jack Newnes (Pick No. 37, 2011)
Biggest steal: Maverick Weller (Pick No. 20, 2013 - Rookie draft)
Biggest bust: Spencer White (Pick No. 25, 2012)
Missed opportunity: Marcus Bontempelli, if he's not already, looks set for a decade as one of the league's finest players. The Saints preferred Jack Billings (Pick No. 3, 2013) over The Bont, a decision they could regret for a long, long time, despite the young Saint's promise.

Sydney

Classy academy players have ensured the Swans continue adding depth to what's already a quality outfit. Isaac Heeney (Pick No. 18, 2014) and Callum Mills (Pick No. 3, 2015) are close to A-grade players despite combining for just 60 games. However, aside from these two, Sydney haven't been too efficient at the draft with early selections.

Best pick-up: Luke Parker (Pick No. 40, 2010)
Biggest steal: Dane Rampe (Pick No. 90, 2013 - originally selected as rookie in 2013)
Biggest bust: Jed Lamb (Pick No. 21, 2010)
Missed opportunity: There aren't many holes in the Swans' team, if any, but Cameron Guthrie could be seen as a player that got away from them. The Cats picked up the hard-running midfielder with Pick No. 23 in 2010, one place after the Swans chose Jed Lamb. It's amazing to think they could have had even more midfield depth.

West Coast

The Eagles have not enjoyed a top-10 pick since securing Andrew Gaff in 2010 and it shows after some disappointing drafting. Only Mark Hutchings and Jeremy McGovern can boast 50 games or more, while 18 players (including rookie selections) failed or are yet to make their debut.

Best pick-up: Andrew Gaff (Pick No. 4, 2010)
Biggest steal: Jeremy McGovern (Pick No. 74, 2013 - original selected as a rookie in 2010)
Biggest bust: Murray Newman (Pick No. 23, 2011)
Missed opportunity: Brad Hill, who's now at crosstown rival Fremantle, could easily have made his way onto the Eagles' list had he been selected with either picks No. 23 or 28 in 2011. The three-time premiership player would have added some much needed midfield pace, but Instead West Coast drafted Murray Newman and Fraser McInnes - a pair that combined for just 15 games.

Western Bulldogs

Has there been a side that's drafted better since 2010? The Western bulldogs have nailed all of their early selections in recent years in what's proved the catalyst in breaking a 62-year premiership drought. Some superb father-son selections in Mitch Wallis, Tom Liberatore and Lachie Hunter have only helped strengthen a rugged and well-balanced side.

Best pick-up: Marcus Bontempelli (Pick No. 4, 2013)
Biggest steal: Luke Dahlhaus (Pick No. 70, 2011 - originally selected as a rookie in 2010)
Biggest bust: Matthew Fuller (Pick No. 42, 2013)
Missed opportunity: It's hard to knock the Bulldogs' drafting since 2010, but one player they could easily have opted against would be Fuller in 2013. With Ben Brown and James Sicily still up for grabs, the Dogs missed an opportunity to add to their forward stocks. But, hey, it didn't affect them too badly.