Cats’ best draft steals
Geelong list manager Stephen Wells has a history of finding gold with any pick in the AFL draft. Addy footy writer RYAN REYNOLDS lists the best 10 gems Wells has unearthed 1. Corey Enright (1999, Pick 47) — 332 games
Could not find a better bargain than Boris. Geelong’s games record holder was snared with a modest pick 47. Taken from Kimba in outback South Australia, Enright would go on to win three premierships and two Carji Greeves Medals. He was an All-Australian six times. Over his career he forged a reputation as an elite small defender and will go down as one of the best backmen in Geelong’s history.
2. Steve Johnson (2001, Pick 24) — 253 games
A fan favourite who will be forever known as a champion of the club. Taken with a respectable pick 24, Johnson would have been selected much earlier if the 2001 draft was done again. Johnson is a three-time premiership player, three-time All-Australian and a Norm Smith medallist. He also won Geelong’s goalkicking in 2008 and 2010.
3. Paul Chapman (1999, Pick 31) — 251 games
Another of Wells’s draft gems. Chapman was one of the last selections in the second round, but went on to have one of the best careers of that draft group. He played a significant role in Geelong’s period of glory, winning three premierships, a Norm Smith Medal and a Carji Greeves Medal. A two-time AllAustralian, too. The barometer. How good were those snaps at goal?
4. Darren Milburn (1995, Pick 47) — 292 games
Wells did not take long to get his feet under the desk. Taking over as Geelong’s list manager in 1993, the magician unearthed his first true gem two seasons later. Milburn had a decorated career, but was a truly under-rated player. Versatile enough to play tall and small, Milburn took some of the biggest jobs and rarely lost. Two premierships and an All-Australian selection.
5. Cameron Ling (1999, Pick 38) — 246 games
A local lad Wells would have known well given he played at the Geelong Falcons. Had an elite engine that saw him used as a tagger throughout his career. May not have been drafted if the Cats did not take a punt, given Ling was at times dubbed unfashionable in his draft year. He was not only a shutdown player, but someone who could win his own footy and pop up with a goal or two. He was a leader, too, guiding Geelong to the 2011 flag. Played in three premiership teams and won the Carji Greeves Medal in 2004.
6. Mathew Stokes (2005, Pick 61) — 189 games
Another player who flew under the radar. A mature-age selection plucked out of South Australia, Stokes was a skilful small forward who could kick goals and win his own footy. Stokes deserved more midfield time, but it was tough to crack into an engine room featuring the likes of Jimmy Bartel, Joel Selwood, Gary Ablett, James Kelly and Ling. In his 189 games with the Cats, Stokes managed better than a goal a game and played in the 2007 and 2011 premierships.
7. Harry Taylor (2007, Pick 17) — 229 games
A mature-age selection, Taylor had an impact in the Geelong team from the minute he walked through the doors. Played a big game on Nick Riewoldt in the 2009 grand final and stepped up to fill the void left by Matthew Scarlett when he retired. Versatile enough to go forward at times, Taylor is a two-time premiership player and two-time All-Australian.
8. Max Rooke (2000, Rookie pick 41) — 135 games
Plucked from obscurity after playing in Casterton. Rooke was one of the most ruthless players to wear blue and white. Starting his career as a defender, Rooke eventually moved to midfield and then to the forward line. It was as a small defensive forward that Rooke played his best footy. His chase down and tackle on Raph Clarke early in the 2009 grand final will be remembered forever. He would play only one more senior game after that grand final win, retiring due to an acute knee injury.
9. Matthew Egan (2004, Pick 62) — 59 games
A story of what could have been. Egan was seen by Wells and Geelong’s coaching staff after standing out with the club’s VFL team. He quickly established himself as one of the AFL’s most promising key defenders and was an absolute rock in Geelong’s backline in the run to the 2007 premiership. Egan fractured his navicular bone in the Round 22 win over Brisbane Lions in 2007 and never played again. A disappointing end to a career that promised so much.
10. Mark Blicavs (2011, Rookie pick 54) — 110 games
Blicavs was an elite middle distance runner and steeplechaser before being taken in the rookie draft by the Cats. His first season in 2012 was spent learning the game and by Round 1, 2013, the athletic big man was pushing for senior selection. Blicavs’s career has been on an upward spiral since, used mainly as a running midfielder and ruckman in his 110 games at the top. His best season came in 2015 where he won Geelong’s best and fairest. *Father-son selections not included. The Cats have scored some rippers under the father-son rule. Matthew Scarlett (pick 45, 1997) and Gary Ablett (pick 40, 2001) lead the charge in that regard. However, neither was highly regarded at the time of the draft and were taken about where they would have gone had they been available to all clubs. Tom Hawkins, however, was a firstround pick and the Cats got him with pick 41 in 2006. For this reason, father-sons were not included.