Collingwood will enter Thursday’s National Draft with four selections inside the top 50. Collingwoodfc.com.au takes a historical look at how the four picks have performed over time.

Will he slip through?

That was the question on every Collingwood supporter’s lips as they settled in to follow the 2009 National Draft.

Champion midfielder Luke Ball had severed ties with his old club, St Kilda, and, at the age of 25, still had plenty of good football ahead of him.

Although he nominated the Magpies as his preferred destination, the two clubs were unable to strike a deal during the October trade period, casting Ball’s playing future in limbo.

Melbourne and Essendon lurked with intent, and the Dees even sent a scare through the Collingwood camp on draft night when they called out Luke Tapscott’s name with pick No. 18.

The tiny pause between the names ‘Luke’ and ‘Tapscott’ felt like an eternity for the Magpie Army watching from home on Fox Sports.

Fortunately, Ball slipped through to pick No. 30 (Collingwood’s first in the National Draft) and found himself playing in a premiership team against his old club less than twelve months later.

Prior to Ball, the Magpies had access to pick No. 30 in three National Drafts.

Kane Purcell (1991) and Paul Ridley (1992) joined Victoria Park but never managed to play senior football.

Chad Liddell (1994) had his share of on-field experience, playing 29 games in four seasons.

A flanker adept at playing at either end, Liddell enjoyed some bright moments, such as his 21 disposal and two goal performance against the Brisbane Bears in the final game of 1996.

Unfortunately he was unable to hold his place on the side and was delisted at the end of 1998.

Liddell went on to captain Sandringham to three consecutive VFL premierships in the 2000s.

A history of pick No. 30
1986 – Matthew Sexton (Richmond)
1987 – Ashley Byrne (Fitzroy)
1988 – Richard Champion (Brisbane)
1989 – Glenn Coleman (Footscray)
1990 – Matthew Young (Hawthorn)
1991 – Kane Purcell (Collingwood)
1992 – Paul Ridley (Collingwood)
1993 – Paul Lewis (Geelong)
1994 – Chad Liddell (Collingwood)
1995 – Craig Smoker (West Coast)
1996 – Hayden Lamaro (Melbourne)
1997 – Paul McMahon (North Melbourne)
1998 – Nicky Winmar (Western Bulldogs)
1999 – Jonathan Brown (Brisbane)
2000 – Sav Rocca (North Melbourne)
2001 – Rod Crowe (North Melbourne)
2002 – Daniel Merrett (Brisbane)
2003 – Brad Symes (Port Adelaide)
2004 – Andrew Lee (Essendon)
2005 – Nick Lower (Port Adelaide)
2006 – Ricky Petterd (Melbourne)
2007 – Jarrhan Jacky (Adelaide)
2008 – Dan Hannebery (Sydney)
2009 – Luke Ball (Collingwood)
2010 – Jake Batchelor (Richmond)
2011 – Elliot Yeo (Brisbane)
2012 – Mason Shaw (Port Adelaide)
2013 – Trent Dumont (North Melbourne)