Geelong has built a strong legacy of being one of the best clubs in the league come draft time, selecting numerous players who have helped the club build success over a long period of time.

Through the National Draft, Rookie Draft and father-son selections, the Cats have continually struck gold with a variety of picks which has propelled them to nearly two decades of Premiership contention.

From Gary Ablett Junior in 2001 to Tom Stewart in 2016, the Cats have recruited a number of players that have added to the Geelong Football Club legacy.

As we begin our series in the lead up to the 2023 AFL Draft in late November, we start by taking a look back at the Cats best draft hauls since the inaugural draft in 1986.

1.    2001 Draft Class

Pick 8 – Jimmy Bartel

Pick 17 - James Kelly

Pick 24 - Steve Johnson

Pick 40 (Father/Son Selection) - Gary Ablett Jr.

The most successful draft class in Geelong history came during the 2001 ‘Superdraft,’ which saw Geelong recruit four of the greatest players to ever wear the blue and white hoops.

Starting with their first selection, the Cats took local talent Jimmy Bartel with the eighth pick in the draft from the Geelong Falcons.

Bartel went on to play 305 games at Geelong, winning a Brownlow Medal in 2007, a Norm Smith Medal in 2011, three premierships, two All-Australian selections and was inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame this year.

Next off the board was James Kelly with the 17th pick in the draft, a powerful inside midfielder from the Calder Cannons in Melbourne.

Kelly went on to be a three time premiership player with the Cats, while also being selected to the 2011 All-Australian team during his 313 game AFL career.

With the 24th pick in the draft, the Cats took mercurial forward Steve Johnson from the Murray Bushrangers.

Regarded as one of the best mid-sized forwards in AFL history, Johnson also became a three time premiership player, winning the Norm Smith Medal in 2007 and three All-Australian selections during his 293 game career.

Finally, the Cats utilised the Father – Son selection rule to recruit one of the greatest players in AFL history, bringing Gary Ablett Junior to Kardinia Park.

Two premierships, two Brownlow Medals, eight All-Australian selections, and five league MVP awards just scratch the surface of what the ‘Little Master’ achieved during his career.

2.    1999 Draft Class 

Pick 8 - Joel Corey 

Pick 31 - Paul Chapman  

Pick 38 - Cameron Ling 

Pick 47 - Corey Enright  

Unlucky to be pipped for the top spot, 1999 saw the Cats pick up another four players who were instrumental in the creation of the Geelong dynasty in years to come.

The Cats picked Joel Corey with their first selection in the draft, an inside midfielder from Perth who went on to be one of the most underrated on-ballers in the competition.

Corey played a big part in the Cats three premierships from 2007 to 2011, winning two Carji Greeves medals and earning two All-Australian selections during his 276 games with the club.

A few selections later the Cats took Paul Chapman from the Calder Cannons with pick 31, a pick that Geelong acquired through a trade prior to the draft.

Chapman went on to be a three time premiership player with the Cats, winning the Norm Smith Medal in 2009, two All-Australian selections and a Carji Greeves Medal in another incredible career.

Geelong’s next selection was a red-headed midfielder from the Geelong Falcons, bringing Cameron Ling to Kardinia Park with the 38th pick of the draft.

Ling became another three time premiership player, captaining the club to the flag in 2011 while also winning a Carji Greeves Medal and an All-Australian selection in 2007.

One of the greatest late draft picks in the club's history was the Cats' last selection in 1999, with Geelong drafting Corey Enright from the SANFL with the 47th pick.

Finishing his career as one of the best defenders in AFL history, Enright was selected to six All-Australian teams, won two Carji Greeves Medals, three Premierships, and was inducted to the AFL Hall of Fame this year.

3.    2006 Draft Class

Pick 7 - Joel Selwood (#7) 

Pick 41 (Father/Son Selection) - Tom Hawkins 

While 2006 didn’t quite carry the same depth for the Cats as the above draft classes, the Geelong recruiting team found two players who would turn into club legends over the next 15 years.

With their first selection in 2006, the Cats recruited a kid with a bung knee by the name of Joel Selwood from the Bendigo Pioneers with the seventh pick of the draft.

The legacy that unfolded over the next 17 years ended with Selwood becoming one of the greatest figures in Geelong history, both as a player and a captain.

Four Premierships including one as captain, six All-Australian selections, three Carji Greeves Medals, and the most games in Cats history only begins to describe the incredible career Selwood forged in his time at the club.

The Cats again utilised the Father-Son rule in 2006, picking Tom Hawkins with the 41st pick from Finley in New South Wales.

Entering his 18th season at AFL level, Hawkins has won three premierships with the Cats, the 2020 Coleman Medal, five All-Australian selections, a Carji Greeves Medal, and has lead Geelong’s goal kicking on 11 occasions.

Selwood and Hawkins were the backbone of the Geelong football club throughout their careers, helping keep the club competitive each year and lead the Cats back to Premiership glory in 2022.

4.    2002 Draft Class

Pick 7 - Andrew Mackie 

Pick 23 - Tom Lonergan (#23) 

Rookie Draft Pick 40 - Shannon Byrnes  

2002 proved to be another important draft year for the Cats, adding to the young core that set them on the path to greatness in years to come.

Geelong’s first selection was another brilliant top 10 pick, recruiting Andrew Mackie from the SANFL with pick seven of the draft.

Mackie went on to play in three premierships with Geelong, making the 2013 All-Australian team and forming one of the strongest defensive units in AFL history alongside the likes of Corey Enright and Matthew Scarlett.

Tom Lonergan was taken with pick 23 in the draft, going on to play an integral part in the 2011 Premiership while playing 209 games in the blue and white.

The Cats also found a value pick in the rookie draft, selecting small forward Shannon Byrnes who finished his career as a two time premiership player with Geelong.

5.    2016 Draft Class

Pick 40 - Tom Stewart 

Pick 26 - Brandan Parfitt 

Rookie Draft Pick 16 - Jack Henry  

Rookie Draft Pick 33 - Zach Guthrie 

International Selection - Mark O’Connor

The fifth and final group on this list is the fast rising 2016 draft class, which included five premiership players that are forging their own individual legacies at Geelong.

The most notable selection was the 40th pick in the draft, with the Cats taking a South Barwon tradie named Tom Stewart.

Now regarded as one of the best defenders in the competition, Stewart has made five of the last six All-Australian teams and two Carji Greeves Medals, while also becoming a premiership player in 2022.

Brandan Parfitt was taken with the 26th pick in the draft, becoming a premiership player in 2022, and will enter his eighth season at Geelong in 2024.

The Cats struck gold in the 2016 rookie draft, picking up Jack Henry and Zach Guthrie who have both become rising stars and premiership players in the Geelong back six.

Mark O’Connor was also picked up by the Cats as a Category B Rookie in 2016, recruited from Ireland and going on to play an important role in the 2022 Premiership.

Honourable Mentions

2005

Pick 15 - Travis Varcoe  

Pick 61 - Mathew Stokes

2000

Pick 44 - Josh Hunt

Rookie Draft Pick 41 - Max Rooke

2009

Pick 28 - Mitch Duncan

Pick 17 - Dan Menzel

Pick 40 -  Allen Christensen

Pick 42 - Nathan Vardy

Rookie Draft Pick 50 - James Podsiadly

2011

Pick 86 (Father-Son) - Jed Bews

Rookie Draft Pick 54 – Mark Blicavs

Pick 66 – Lincoln McCarthy

1995 

Pick 48 - Darren Milburn

Pick 49 - Ronnie Burns

Pick 61 - Dan Lowther

Pick 75 - Clint Bizzell