SINCE the first NAB AFL Draft was held in 1986, clubs have been trying to perfect the inexact science of identifying and recruiting the best young talent each year.

So, while Matthew Rendell and the Adelaide recruiting team put the finishing touches on their draft order ahead of the much anticipated November 29, 2008 NAB AFL Draft, afc.com.au uses the benefit of hindsight to reflect on some of the club’s biggest hits (and misses) in drafts gone by starting with the early 90s.

1992 AFL Draft
This was Adelaide’s first official draft after joining the AFL competition in 1991 and it also incorporated the short-lived ‘Mid-season Draft’, which was scrapped after 1993.

The Crows secured their first real coup in 1992 when Hawthorn forward Matthew Robran agreed to leave Hawthorn to return to his native SA.

Robran went on to play 130 games in the tricolours, while the Hawks, who received pick 11 in exchange for Robran, secured Matthew’s younger brother Jonathan (83 AFL games) as part of the deal.

Marty McKinnon (pick number 26) was the only other player from this particular draft year (both national and mid-season) to play more than 20 games for the Crows.

Adelaide’s other draft selections, Brooke Fogden (pick number 41), Sam Smart (pick 86) and Michael Godden (pick 116) played just one AFL career game combined, while Matthew Powell (selected with pick number 56) racked up 16.

Best picks of the 1992 draft overall…
Drew Banfield went to West Coast at pick number one and Justin Leppitsch to Brisbane at pick number four, but it’s hard to go past recently retired Collingwood skipper, Scott Burns, who failed to grab the attention of any clubs until pick 90.

1993 AFL Draft
The AFL Pre-season Draft was introduced in 1993 and Adelaide’s first ever pick remains a sticking point to this day. The Crows selected 261-game St Kilda and Power veteran Darryl Wakelin at number 11, but weren’t convinced of the defender’s talent. Wakelin eventually ended up alongside brother Shane at the Saints before joining the Power’s premiership-winning side.

Forward Tony Hall wowed fans with his aerial marking supremacy, but struggled with injury after being traded by Hawthorn for pick 17, which was used to secure Angelo Lekkas.

Brett Chalmers, who played 50 games for Adelaide after switching from Collingwood, was the best of the 1993 bunch.

Best picks of the 1993 draft overall…
Defender Darren Gaspar went to Sydney at number one, followed by Nigel Lappin to Brisbane at number two, but the Western Bulldogs (then Footscray) would’ve been pretty happy with their choice at number 11- current-day skipper Brad Johnson.

1994 AFL Draft
Few realised it at the time, but this draft would shape Adelaide’s history.

Former coach Graham Cornes, who was ousted earlier that year, concedes he wouldn’t have agreed to the switch, but thankfully incoming coach Robert Shaw did and the Crows completed what will go down as one of the most infamous trades in AFL/VFL history.

Adelaide made the decision to send injury-ravaged utility Chris Groom to Fremantle in exchange for the one and only Andrew McLeod.

McLeod wasn’t even deemed to be worthy of a direct swap for Groom, so Fremantle also threw in pick number 38, which the Crows used to secure Victorian junior Matthew Collins.

Adelaide also picked up premiership player and best and fairest, Matt Connell and Collingwood forward Jason McCartney, but lucked out with Toby Kennett (pick number 27), Allen Nash (38) and Brett Higgins (50), neither of whom played a single AFL game.

Overall pick of the 1994 draft…
Jeff White, Anthony Rocca, Shannon Grant and Scott Lucas made up the top-four draft picks in 1994, but it really is hard to go past the McLeod trade.

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club.