Geelong’s Past with the Top Ten Draft Selections
We examine the past of the Cats’ selections at the top of the draft
Over the past 20 years, the Cats have quietly been among the most successful teams at the AFL draft, creating and preserving a quality roster that has allowed them to stay in the running.
Even though Geelong is well known for its success during the trade window, they have also discovered some great players in the draft, ranging from their first picks to their later selections.
The most notable period of top ten selections for Geelong came in a golden era from 1999 to 2006, which helped to establish a dynasty that led to four premierships coming home to Kardinia Park.
The first was in the 1999 draft, with the Cats selecting tough nut Joel Corey from East Perth with pick eight.
Corey went on to feature across 14 seasons and 276 games with Geelong, playing a vital role through the midfield in the three premierships between 2007 and 2011.
The tough Cat also won two Carji Greeves medals during his time at the club, while earning a pair of All-Australian selections in 2007 and 2008.
The next top ten selection came two years later when the Cats used another eighth pick to draft Jimmy Bartel from the Geelong Falcons.
Bartel built a legacy as one of the greatest players to don the blue and white hoops, winning the 2007 Brownlow and the 2011 Norm Smith Medal while becoming a three time premiership player.
The superstar played 305 games for Geelong, earning two All-Australian selections while maintaining his status as one of the competition’s top on-ballers for the majority of his career.
Geelong used pick seven in the 2002 draft to select Andrew Mackie from Glenelg, their third consecutive top ten pick that turned into a club champion.