Hawthorn will hold three live picks in Thursday night’s 2014 NAB AFL draft – selections 31, 49 and 50. hawthornfc.com.au takes a look at the history of players taken at each choice in the lead-up to the draft.
 

Hawthorn’s opening draft selection, pick 31, has produced some top quality AFL players, although interestingly, the Hawks have never previously held this selection in the draft.

The Hawks traded into pick 31 following a deal with Adelaide that saw defender Kyle Cheney and Luke Lowden depart for the Crows.

Now, it’s up to Recruiting and List Manager Graham Wright and his team to pluck a quality player from the draft pool to add to Hawthorn’s back-to-back premiership list.

Luckily, the selection has seen some very talented players join clubs and there is none bigger than triple Brisbane Lions premiership player and Brownlow Medallist, Simon Black.

Way back in 1997, Black was selected by the Brisbane Lions as a midfielder with great potential from East Fremantle.

What the Lions didn’t realise at the time was they had just selected a key part of their all conquering team from 2001-2004 and that dynamic midfield of Michael Voss, Jason Akermanis and Nigel Lappin among others.

Black went on to play 322 games for the Lions between 1998-2013, when he retired last year as one of the club’s all-time greats and, one of the best midfielder the game has seen.

A classy user of the ball, Black had the unique ability to look as though time slowed down around him whenever he had the ball such was his amazing use of space and vision.

He won the Brownlow Medal in 2002, won the Norm Smith Medal as best on ground in the Lions’ 2003 premiership win and was named All Australian three times, in 2001, 2002 and 2004.

Black also captained the Lions in 2007 and 2008.

Simon Black celebrates a goal during his playing days for the Lions.

Pick 31 has also produced another triple premiership player – a man by the name of Paul Chapman.

Hawthorn fans know Chapman all too well, with the former Geelong and now Essendon star’s incredible record against the brown and gold, particularly since 2009.

A solidly built midfielder/forward, Chapman has enjoyed an illustrious career and is still one of the most dangerous players around goals in the game.

A big game player, Chapman can pick up 25 or more disposals and kick a bag of goals in any game, such is his versatility and ability to impact and win games off his own boot.

In 251 games for the Cats before joining Essendon where he’s played 20, Chapman played in each of the premierships in 2007, 2009 and 2011 and won the North Smith Medal in 2009.

Chapman has also been named All Australian twice, in 2009 and 2010 and won Geelong’s best and fairest in 2006.

Another notable AFL player who was taken with pick 31 was back in 1992 is former St Kilda and Collingwood defender, Shane Wakelin.

Wakelin played 94 games with the Saints as a dour defender before joining Collingwood via the National Draft in 2001.

Ironically, when Wakelin departed St Kilda and entered the draft, the Magpies took him with selection 49, which is also the number of Hawthorn’s second selection on Thursday night.

Wakelin became a critical part of Collingwood’s success in the early 2000s, particularly when they featured in the 2002 and 2003 Grand Finals.

He went on to play 158 games for the Magpies and was a valued part of the defence as he was one of their most reliable and consistent performers under Coach Mick Malthouse.

Wakelin retired at the end of the 2008 season having played 252 career games.

Shane Wakelin in action for Collingwood.

More recently, the Western Bulldogs picked up key position player Jordan Roughead, the cousin of Hawthorn’s Jarryd with selection 31 in 2008, while the Bombers selected impressive midfielder Jackson Merrett in 2011.

History of pick 31 since 1986
1986: Glen Keast (Geelong)
1987: Jamie Keane (St Kilda)
1988: Brenton Klaebe (Fitzroy)
1989: Darel Hart (St Kilda)
1990: Nick Faull (Carlton)
1991: Haydon Kilmartin (Melbourne)
1992: Shane Wakelin (St Kilda, Collingwood)
1993: Mark Stevens (North Melbourne)
1994: Allen Nash (Adelaide)
1995: Andrew Ukovic (Essendon, Collingwood)
1996: Jess Sinclair (Fremantle, North Melbourne)
1997: Simon Black (Brisbane Lions)
1998: Gary Dhurrkay (North Melbourne, Fremantle)
1999: Paul Chapman (Geelong, Essendon)
2000: Blake Campbell (Carlton)
2001: Joel Reynolds (Essendon)
2002: Joel Perry (North Melbourne)
2003: Joshua Kreuger (Adelaide)
2004: Jarred Moore (Sydney Swans)
2005: Trent West (Geelong, Brisbane Lions)
2006: Clayton Collard (Fremantle)
2007: John McCarthy (Collingwood, Port Adelaide)
2008: Jordan Roughead (Western Bulldogs)
2009: Jason Tutt (Western Bulldogs)
2010: Ariel Steinberg (Essendon)
2011: Jackson Merrett (Essendon)
2012: Kamdyn McIntosh (Richmond)
2013: Malcolm Karpany (West Coast Eagles)