Port Adelaide were delighted to snap up midfielder Willem Drew with pick 33 in 2016. Image: AFL Photos.

PORT ADELAIDE holds picks 33 and 60 at the 2022 AFL National Draft after a strong trade period where talented players Junior Rioli and Jason Horne-Francis were brought to the club.

While the draft hand may not appear overly strong, there have been some impressive players claimed with those picks over the years.

In advance of the draft, portadelaidefc.com.au has taken a look at the club’s history with picks 33 and 60 as well as some of the best players to be taken with those selections.

Today we start with pick 33.

Pick 33

Port Adelaide supporters would be particularly familiar with a few of the players taken with pick 33 over the history of the draft, none moreso than Willem Drew, claimed by the Power in 2016. Drew has cast aside some troublesome foot issues to establish himself in the AFL line-up, and has now played 56 AFL games, renowned as a hard-at-it, no-nonsense midfielder looking to add more goal scoring to his impressive defensive ability. In 2007 Port Adelaide used pick 33 to recruit Matthew Westhoff – the younger brother of future John Cahill Medallist Justin Westhoff. The younger Westhoff didn’t quite have the longevity in the game of his older brother, but still recorded five AFL goals in six AFL games before being delisted at the end of the 2011 season.

There are other Port Adelaide links too, with the electric David Rodan claimed by Richmond with that pick in 2001 before he came to Alberton in 2006. Also, former Port Adelaide ruckman Cain Ackland, who also played at Carlton, found his way to St Kilda with pick 33 in 2004, having originally been drafted by the Power with pick 27 in 1999.

Prior to making his way to Alberton in 2006, David Rodan was picked up with pick 33 by Richmond. Image: AFL Photos.

Among the others who make pick 33 appealing are three-time premiership player and 2001 Norm Smith Medallist Shaun Hart – another with a link to Port Adelaide as a previous member of its coaching panel – who was the 33rd pick in the 1989 draft.

Sydney co-captain, All-Australian and premiership player Craig Bolton was taken by Brisbane with pick 33 in 1998 and went on to play 199 AFL games, 170 of them with the Swans, while the Lions had more success with Martin Pike who played 106 games and won three premierships after being taken with pick 33 in 2000.

Other pick 33s who rate a mention include Lion Jed Adcock (2003), who played 206 games and captained Brisbane, 2004 selection Sam Gilbert who had 208 games for St Kilda, Jeremy Howe (now at Collingwood but Melbourne’s pick 33 in 2010) and 2011 pick Brad Hill who won three premierships with Hawthorn and has also played for Fremantle and currently St Kilda.

In more recent times, others who are starting to make their mark on the AFL include Tom Cutler (Brisbane 2013), Tom McCartin (Sydney 2017) and James Jordon (Melbourne 2018).

The 2021 pick 33 was St Kilda’s Mitch Owens.

Notable pick 33s over the years

1989 Shaun Hart to Sydney Swans

1998 Craig Bolton to Brisbane

2000 Martin Pike to Brisbane

2001 David Rodan to Richmond

2003 Jed Adcock to Brisbane

2005 Sam Gilbert to St Kilda

2010 Jeremy Howe to Collingwood

2011 Brad Hill to Hawthorn

2016 Willem Drew to Port Adelaide