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<\/a><\/p>\nThe 2017 Draft class was a solid one. Seven of the first 10 players selected have accumulated more than 100 games, while some later speculative picks have emerged as genuine draft steals.<\/p>\n
Eight years on, we re-draft the first 10 picks, taking into account each player’s career, any remaining upside and each club’s list priorities at the time. In hindsight, some clubs would have made vastly different calls.<\/p>\n
For context, here were the original first 10 selections in the 2017 AFL Draft<\/a>: Pick 1: Sam Taylor (+27) – Brisbane<\/p>\n In 2017, the Lions were undergoing a genuine rebuild – they had failed to finish outside the bottom two for three consecutive years. Similar to what Carlton did in selecting Jacob Weitering<\/a> two years earlier, a generational fullback and leader was exactly what the Lions needed.<\/p>\n Taylor has turned into arguably the best defender in the game. The 26-year-old is a one-on-one beast, regularly playing on the best key forwards in the game. He picks off opposition high balls with ease, averaging three intercept marks per game across his career.<\/p>\n Eight years on, it’s hard to argue against Taylor as the top selection. The Giants defender has established himself as the premier key defender in the competition and the ideal player to anchor the Lions’ developing list at the time.<\/p>\n
1. Cameron Rayner<\/a> (Brisbane)
2. Andrew Brayshaw<\/a> (Fremantle)
3. Paddy Dow<\/a> (Carlton)
4. Luke Davies-Uniacke<\/a> (North Melbourne)
5. Adam Cerra<\/a> (Fremantle)
6. Jaidyn Stephenson<\/a> (Collingwood)
7. Hunter Clark<\/a> (St Kilda)
8. Nick Coffield<\/a> (St Kilda)
9. Aaron Naughton<\/a> (Western Bulldogs<\/a>)
10. Lochie O’Brien (Carlton)<\/p>\n