We’ve turned back the draft clock once again to relive some of the Club’s greatest success stories from years gone by, only on afc.com.au.
Adelaide looked into its own backyard at the 1999 National Draft, uncovering a host of local talent with its first five picks of the meet.
Woodville-West Torrens pair Rhett Biglands and Justin Cicolella shared third place in the 1999 Magarey Medal count, and both men were rewarded with senior contracts at the Crows.
The addition of Biglands continued what was a golden era of ruckmen at West Lakes. He joined current Crows ruck coach Matthew Clarke, who was traded from Brisbane ahead of Season 2000, and premiership talls Ben Marsh and Shaun Rehn on Adelaide’s roster.
Biglands made his mark instantly and would play the most games of the quartet in his first AFL season.
The athleticism of the 200cm and 104kg Crow helped revolutionise the role of modern-day ruckmen. Biglands played 134 games across seven seasons at the Club, before a horrific knee injury sustained in the opening minutes of Adelaide’s 2006 Preliminary Final loss effectively signalled the end of his AFL career.
Cicolella only played five games with the Crows in the No.42 guernsey, but would return to Woodville-West Torrens and lead the Eagles to an SANFL premiership in 2006.
Another Eagle in Robert Shirley first joined Adelaide via the 1999 National Draft.
Shirley was re-drafted by the Club in 2002 after struggling to break into a Crows midfield featuring big names such as Ricciuto, McLeod, Goodwin and Edwards.
But Shirley eventually found his niche as a reliable run-with player. His most memorable scalp came in Adelaide’s 2003 Elimination Final victory over West Coast, where Shirley nullified dual Brownlow Medallist Chris Judd.
The role helped cement Shirley’s spot in the side the following season on his way to 151 AFL games with the Club.
Matthew Shir, who was Adelaide’s final pick in the draft, played 11 games across two seasons at West Lakes while Ricky O’Loughlin, the brother of Sydney Swans legend Michael, notched nine senior appearances.
National Draft - Adelaide 1999
No.36 – Rhett Biglands (from Woodville-West Torrens)
No.51 – Ricky O’Loughlin (Port Adelaide SANFL)
No.65 – Justin Cicolella (Woodville-West Torrens)
No.67 – Robert Shirley (Woodville-West Torrens)
No.79 – Balraj Singh (West Adelaide)
No.83 – Matthew Shir (Murray U18s)
Pre-season Draft – Adelaide 1999
No.12 – Darryl Wintle (North Adelaide)
1999 National Draft Top Ten
No.1 – Josh Fraser (to Collingwood)
No.2 – Paul Hasleby (Fremantle)
No.3 – Aaron Fiora (Richmond)
No.4 – Matthew Pavlich (Fremantle)
No.5 – Leigh Brown (Fremantle)
No.6 – Damian Cupido (Brisbane)
No.7 – Danny Roach (Collingwood)
No.8 – Joel Corey (Geelong)
No.9 – Caydn Beetham (St Kilda)
No.10 – Luke McPharlin (Hawthorn)
