We turn back the clock and recap some of Adelaide’s great draft success stories from years gone by, exclusive to afc.com.au.
The find - Brett Burton (No.16 1998 National Draft)
One of the Club’s all-time fan favourites, Brett ‘Birdman’ Burton was Adelaide’s first pick at the 1998 National Draft.
Burton impressed instantly on his arrival at West Lakes, earning a spot in Adelaide’s 1999 season opener against the Western Bulldogs. He played the next 20 games and booted 25 goals in a promising first year with the Crows.
Despite niggling injuries, Burton’s rise continued through over the next two years. His game reached a new level in 2002 when he kicked 52 goals to be Adelaide’s leading goalkicker and wowed fans with his spectacular leap and freakish goal sense.
Unfortunately, injury worries continued to rob the Crows of Burton’s best over the next two seasons as ankle and hamstring concerns took their toll, but he returned in time to help Adelaide to successive finals campaigns in 2005 and 2006. He finished third in the Club’s goalkicking goalkicking in ‘06’ with 41 goals behind Mark Ricciuto and Trent Hentschel.
A knee reconstruction grounded the high-flyer for much of the 2008 and 2009 seasons. But Burton returned in style late in ‘09’ to claim the 2009 AFL Mark of the Year with a huge hanger against the Blues.
Burton retired from AFL football in 2010 after 177 games and remains equal-fifth (alongside Darren Jarman) on the Club’s all-time goalkicking list with 264 majors.
After a stint with Brisbane's Physical Performance unit, Burton returned to Adelaide in October of 2015 to head up the Club's High Performance department ahead of Season 2016.
Tyson Stenglein, who was Adelaide’s second pick at the meet, was another standout of the Club’s 1998 draft crop.
A tough, no-frills midfielder, Stenglein became Adelaide’s designated run-with player and missed just seven games in his final four seasons with the Crows (2001-2004), before requesting a trade home to WA.
Further down the order, Adelaide struck gold again to land 17-year-old utility Ken McGregor with pick No.75.
McGregor, who is the current coach of SANFL club North Adelaide, became one of Adelaide’s strongest marking talls after making his debut in 1999.
A mobile ‘swingman’ effective at either end of the ground, McGregor came to the fore in attack in 2005 under coach Neil Craig. He booted 31 majors for the year including bags of multiple goals in all three of Adelaide’s finals appearances.
Club Ambassador Ryan Fitzgerald was also 1998 draftee, with Sydney selecting the forward with selection No.4 overall. Fitzgerald would later join Adelaide in 2002 and play eight games in the tri-colours.
National Draft - Adelaide 1998
No.16 – Brett Burton (Woodville-West Torrens)
No.29 – Tyson Stenglein (Subiaco)
No.32 – David Gallagher (Prahran U18s)
No.34 – Bryan Beinke (Port Adelaide)
No.48 – Lucas Herbert (North Adelaide)
No.63 – Clint Kirey (East Fremantle)
No.75 – Ken McGregor (Woodville-West Torrens)
No.80 – Brodie Atkinson (Sturt)
Pre-season Draft – Adelaide 1998
No.8 – Not utilised
1998 National Draft Top Ten
No.1 – Des Headland (Brisbane)
No.2 – Justin Longmuir (Fremantle)
No.3 – Nic Fosdike (Sydney)
No.4 – Ryan Fitzgerald (Sydney)
No.5 – Michael Stevens (Port Adelaide)
No.6 – Murray Vance (Carlton)
No.7 – Josh Carr (Port Adelaide)
No.8 – Jude Bolton (Sydney)
No.9 – Mark McVeigh (Essendon)
No.10 – Brandon Hill (West Coast)
