On the day of the 2012 National Draft, collingwoodfc.com.au has looked at the history of the Magpies’ five live selections in the 26 years of the National Draft.

A history of selection No. 18
1986 - Mark O’Keefe (Geelong)
1987 - Patrick Browne (St Kilda)
1988 - Anthony Stevens (North Melbourne)
1989 - Robert Wren (Richmond)
1990 - Danny Millar (North Melbourne)
1991 - Matthew Hogg (Carlton)
1992 - Leigh Colbert (Geelong)
1993 - Simon Beaumont (Carlton)
1994 - Robert DiRosa (Geelong)
1995 - Brent Williams (Adelaide)
1996 - Gerrard Bennett (Geelong)
1997 - Mark Alvey (Western Bulldogs)
1998 - Daniel Schell (Fremantle)
1999 - Rhyce Shaw (Collingwood - Father/Son)
2000 - Daniel Kerr (West Coast)
2001 - Shane Harvey (Essendon)
2002 - Kris Shore (North Melbourne)
2003 - Llane Spaanderman (Brisbane)
2004 - Cameron Wood (Brisbane)
2005 - Max Bailey (Hawthorn)
2006 - Leroy Jetta (Essendon)
2007 - Alex Rance (Richmond)
2008 - Luke Shuey (West Coast)
2009 - Luke Tapscott (Melbourne)
2010 - Matthew Watson (Carlton)
2011 - Brad McKenzie (North Melbourne)

The 26 players selected with pick No. 18 in the National Draft have combined to play 1681 senior games at an average of 64.65 games per player. Five players (O’Keefe, Browne, Wren, Millar and Shore) never managed a senior game, while Stevens played 292. Only Shaw, Kerr, Bailey, Jetta, Rance, Shuey, Tapscott, Watson and McKenzie are still on a senior list. Stevens, Shaw and Kerr are the only premiership players to be drafted with pick No. 18.

A history of selection No. 19
1986 - Matthew Mansfield (Footscray)
1987 - Jamie Cox (Essendon)
1988 - Matthew Francis (Richmond)
1989 - Ashley Green (Essendon)
1990 - Gary Merritt (Melbourne)
1991 - Phil Gilbert (Melbourne)
1992 - Lee Walker (West Coast)
1993 - Robert Stevenson (Essendon)
1994 - Ben Holland (Fitzroy)
1995 - Barry Hall (St Kilda)
1996 - Brent Tuckey (Collingwood)
1997 - Chris Obst (Hawthorn)
1998 - Nick Davis (Collingwood)
1999 - Brad Green (Melbourne)
2000 - Jason Cloke (Collingwood)
2001 - Jason Gram (St Kilda)
2002 - Troy Selwood (Brisbane)
2003 - David Mundy (Fremantle)
2004 - Ryan Willits (Port Adelaide)
2005 - Courtenay Dempsey (Essendon)
2006 - Shaun Grigg (Carlton)
2007 - Callan Ward (Western Bulldogs)
2008 - James Strauss (Melbourne)
2009 - Ben Griffiths (Richmond)
2010 - Isaac Smith (Hawthorn)
2011 - Elliott Kavanagh (Essendon)

Players drafted with selection No. 19 in the past 26 National Drafts have played a combined total of 1903 games at an average of 73.19 per player. Matthew Francis (drafted to Richmond in 1988) joined Collingwood for the 1996-1998 seasons where he managed 36 senior games as a ruckman-cum-forward. Jamie Cox (drafted to Essendon in 1987) never managed a senior game but made his name while playing state cricket for Tasmania. He is considered by many to have been extremely unlucky to have never worn the Baggy Green cap for Australia in a Test Match. Mundy, Dempsey, Grigg, Ward, Strauss, Griffiths, Smith and Kavanagh are all still playing senior football, while Green (retired) and Gram (delisted) played at AFL level in 2012. Of the 26 players, only Merritt and Cox did not play senior football.

A history of selection No. 20
1986 - Brenton Harris (North Melbourne)
1987 - Stuart Wigney (Footscray)
1988 - Adrian Fletcher (Geelong)
1989 - Brett Hawkey (North Melbourne)
1990 - Robbie West (West Coast)
1991 - Brett Cook (Fitzroy)
1992 - Scott Cummings (Essendon)
1993 - Wade Chapman (Sydney)
1994 - Stuart Mangin (Sydney)
1995 - Nick Carter (Fitzroy)
1996 - Matthew Dent (Western Bulldogs)
1997 - Dean Solomon (Essendon)
1998 - Michael Collica (Hawthorn)
1999 - Paul Wheatley (Melbourne)
2000 - Kane Cornes (Port Adelaide)
2001 - Daniel Elstone (Hawthorn)
2002 - Will Minson (Western Bulldogs)
2003 - Sam Butler (West Coast)
2004 - Dean Polo (Richmond)
2005 - Paul Bower (Carlton)
2006 - Tom Hislop (Essendon)
2007 - Tony Notte (West Coast)
2008 - Tom Swift (West Coast)
2009 - Nat Fyfe (Fremantle)
2010 - Jayden Pitt (Fremantle)
2011 - Hayden Crozier (Fremantle)

The 26 players selected with the 20th selection in National Drafts have played a combined total of 1816 games at an average of 69.84 per player. James Hawksley and Daniel Elstone did not manage a senior game. Scott Cummings won the 1999 Coleman Medal, Adrian Fletcher led Fremantle and won their 1999 best and fairest, Dean Solomon, Kane Cornes and Sam Butler became premiership players and Brett Cook and Wade Chapman appeared in Grand Finals during the mid-90s. Cornes, Minson, Butler, Fyfe, Pitt and Crozier are the six players still active on an AFL list.

A history of selection No. 38
1986 - Simon Minton-Connell (Carlton)
1987 - John Polkinghorne (Hawthorn)
1988 - Jeremy Crough (West Coast)
1989 - Gavin Rose (Collingwood)
1990 - Grant McFarlane (Collingwood)
1991 - Jamie Rundle (Footscray)
1992 - David Deighton (North Melbourne)
1993 - David Innella (Geelong)
1994 - Matthew Collins (Adelaide)
1995 - Jason Cripps (St Kilda)
1996 - Sam Smart (Carlton)
1997 - James Rahilly (Geelong)
1998 - Brendan Fevola (Carlton)
1999 - Cameron Ling (Geelong)
2000 - Michael Handby (Adelaide)
2001 - Ashley Hansen (West Coast)
2002 - Blake Grima (North Melbourne)
2003 - Mark Blake (Geelong)
2004 - Damien McCormack (Western Bulldogs)
2005 - Travis Tuck (Hawthorn)
2006 - James Hawksley (Brisbane)
2007 - Myke Cook (Adelaide)
2008 - Matthew Broadbent (Port Adelaide)
2009 - Sam Reid (Western Bulldogs)
2010 - Mitchell Hallahan (Hawthorn)
2011 - Jordan Kelly (Hawthorn)

In the history of National Drafts, the 26 players selected at pick No. 38 have played a combined total of 1143 games at an average of 43.96 per player. Polkinghorne, Crough, McFarlane, Rundle, Deighton, Innella and Handby never played a senior game while Hallahan and Kelly are yet to open their accounts. Rose never managed a senior game for Collingwood but went on to play 55 for Sydney during the 1990s. Fevola won two Coleman Medals and was named as an All-Australian on three occasions and Ling collected a best and fairest during his 246 games at Geelong as well as leading them to the 2011 premiership. He was also a member of their 2007 and 2009 triumphs. Hansen and Blake also played in premierships. Collins and Cripps were members of Grand Final teams. Only Broadbent, Reid, Hallahan and Kelly are still on an AFL list, although Tuck and Cook remain on the AFL radar at VFL level.

A history of selection No. 80
1986 - None
1987 - None
1988 - Damian Berto (West Coast)
1989 - Damien Murray (North Melbourne)
1990 - Scott O’Donohue (Collingwood)
1991 - Damian Ryan (Footscray)
1992 - Stephen Newport (St Kilda)
1993 - None
1994 - Ben Atkins (North Melbourne)
1995 - None
1996 - Chris Holcombe (Hawthorn)
1997 - John Hynes (Carlton)
1998 - Brodie Atkinson (Adelaide)
1999 - Jeremy Dukes (Carlton)
2000 - Mitchell Craig (Melbourne)
2001 - Hugh Foot (North Melbourne)
2002 - None
2003 - None
2004 - None
2005 - None
2006 - James Thomson (West Coast)
2007 - None
2008 - Caleb Tiller (Carlton)
2009 - Cruize Garlett (North Melbourne; promoted rookie)
2010 - Michael Ross (Essendon)
2011 - Alik Magin (Gold Coast; promoted rookie)

Selection 80 has only been used on 17 occasions in the last 26 years. The players chosen have played a total of 57 games between them at an average of 3.35 per player. Only Hynes, Atkinson, Garlett, Ross and Magin played senior football and none are currently on an AFL list. Of the players who weren’t promoted off the rookie list, Atkinson (five) managed the most senior games. He had previously played two games for St Kilda in 1993, earning two Brownlow votes on debut. Strangely, he was omitted the following week and only bobbed up to the surface again after winning the 1997 Magarey Medal in the SANFL.