The 1997 AFL Draft was held at the conclusion of the 1997 Australian Football League (AFL) season. A Pre-season Draft and the second Rookie Draft were held prior to the 1998 season.
It is considered to have been one of the most successful drafts ever, with the top 11 selections each playing over 100 games of AFL football. [1] Other significant selections include Brownlow Medalists Simon Black at 31 and Adam Goodes at 43, as well as future Hawthorn captain Richie Vandenberg and Port Adelaide and Carlton star Nick Stevens. Black and Goodes played in seven Grand Finals between them from 2001 to 2012, Black winning three and Goodes winning two. Another notable player from this draft was Matthew Scarlett, who played a pivotal role in Geelong's 2007, 2009 and 2011 premierships.
The Melbourne Demons received the first two picks in the draft: one for finishing bottom of the ladder and a Priority Pick for winning just 4 games. Melbourne traded pick no.2 to Fremantle in exchange for Jeff White. Fremantle traded this pick to Richmond in exchange for Chris Bond.
In total, there were 86 picks to be drafted between the 16 competing teams.
Jeffrey Newman "Jeff" White is an Australian rules footballer who had a distinguished career in the Australian Football League (AFL) spanning 14 years. He played most recently and notably for the Melbourne Football Club, following a move from the Fremantle Dockers at the end of 1997. He was Melbourne's first-choice ruckman for a decade, relying on his key attributes of athleticism and durability. He was an All-Australian in 2004, and was selected for Victoria several times. He was an important member of the Melbourne sides which made the 2000 AFL Grand Final and qualified for six finals series from 1998 to 2006.
Simon Black is a former Australian rules football player and current assistant coach, who played his whole career with the Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Peter Francis Bell is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Fremantle Football Club and the North Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League. He played as a rover. A former captain of the Fremantle Football Club, Bell was twice named as a member of the All-Australian Team. He was an acclaimed ball-winner and had more than 30 possessions in a game on 39 occasions in his career.
Shane Woewodin is a retired Australian rules football player who played 200 games with the Melbourne and Collingwood Football Clubs. He was the recipient of the Brownlow Medal in 2000. He formerly served as the Offensive Skills coach of the Brisbane Lions, and also as the head coach of the Lions' NEAFL reserves team.
Heath Black is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Fremantle and St Kilda in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Adrian Fletcher is a former Australian rules footballer and current assistant coach. He is regarded as one of football's nomads, having played for five Australian Football League clubs in his 13-year career. Fletcher's play relied on being an excellent play reader which resulted in him being a prolific possession gatherer, especially by handball.
Ryan Morgan Crowley is a former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the Fremantle Football Club and the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He played as a midfielder and specialised in a tagging role.
Michael Strickland Gardiner is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the St Kilda Football Club and the West Coast Eagles in the Australian Football League (AFL). Originally from Albany, Western Australia.
Dale Mathew Kickett is a former Australian rules footballer who played for Fitzroy, West Coast, St Kilda, Essendon and Fremantle in the Australian Football League (AFL). Having played for five different clubs over his career spanning from 1990 until 2002, Kickett shares the record for playing for the most VFL/AFL clubs.
The father–son rule is a rule that allows clubs preferential recruiting access to the sons of players who have made a major past contribution to the club in Australian rules football, most notably in the Australian Football League.
Brett Peake is a former Australian Rules Footballer who played for the Fremantle Football Club and the St Kilda Football Club. He was traded from Fremantle to St Kilda during the 2009 AFL trade week.
Desmond John Headland, Jr is a retired Australian rules footballer, Following on from his AFL career he continued on finishing his playing career for Subiaco in the West Australian Football League. He was also a former conservative political candidate. He plays as a half-forward flanker or midfielder. Headland was selected with the first overall draft pick in the 1998 AFL draft by the Brisbane Lions. He had a 166-game Australian Football League career, playing for Brisbane and Fremantle.
Troy John Longmuir is a former Australian rules footballer in the Australian Football League (AFL). He is the older brother of former Fremantle player Justin Longmuir.
Fremantle Football Club's drafting and trading history is often cited as a reason for their poor on-field record; the club took eight years to reach a final, and won their first final in 2006. In recent years, however, they have been successful in finding good players with late round and rookie list selections.
Scott Gumbleton is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Essendon and Fremantle Football Clubs in the Australian Football League (AFL).
The 2008 AFL draft consisted of four opportunities for player acquisitions during the 2008/09 Australian Football League off-season. These were trade week, the national draft, the pre-season draft and the rookie draft. It was considered to be the last uncompromised draft before the draft concessions given to the Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney expansion teams restrict the existing AFL clubs' access to the best young players in the future years drafts.
The 2010 season was the West Coast Eagles' 24th season in the AFL. The Eagles finished 16th and last to record their first wooden spoon in the competition, just four years after their premiership season of 2006. West Coast played 22 games, including 12 at Subiaco Oval, winning just four and losing the remaining eighteen.
The 2011 AFL draft consisted of five opportunities for player acquisitions during the 2011/12 Australian Football League off-season.
The history of the Adelaide Football Club dates back to their founding in 1990, when the Australian Football League (AFL) approved a license application by the South Australian National Football League (SANFL) to base a new club out of Adelaide, South Australia in the expanding AFL competition. The club also operates a side in the AFL Women's competition, which held its first season in 2017.
The 2022 AFL draft consisted of the various periods where the 18 clubs in the Australian Football League (AFL) could trade and recruit players during and following the completion of the 2022 AFL season.