FOR the second year in a row, Port Adelaide will take a very strong draft hand into the NAB AFL National Draft.

Port will take picks 12, 16 and 18 into the first round of this year’s draft - however picks can still be traded live on the night - to add to the three first-round selections the club made last season.

Teams have had some success with these selections throughout the years, including the Power, with a number of players at 12, 16 and 18 going on to have extremely fruitful careers.

Here is the history of pick 18:

Pick 18

Alex Rance

Richmond picked up Alex Rance with pick 18 in 2007, and the fullback has become one of the best defenders in the game.

Rance has currently played 200 AFL games for the Tigers - one in 2019 after suffering an ACL tear in round 1 last year.

The big-bodied key defender has been selected in the All-Australian team on five occasions in his 12-year career to day - named captain in 2017.

The 30-year-old was part of the Tigers’ drought-breaking premiership in 2017, and also won the club’s best and fairest in 2015.

Brodie Grundy

Brodie Grundy has become the dominant big man in the game, after being selected at pick 18 by Collingwood in 2012.

Grundy was a talented South Australian junior, and the 203-centimetre ruckman has now started to take the AFL by storm.

In the last two seasons, the 25-year-old has won the Magpies’ best and fairest on consecutive occasions, as well as back-to-back All-Australian selections.   

Sam Powell-Pepper

Sam Powell-Pepper joined Todd Marshall (Pick 16) at Alberton in 2016, after being selected by Port Adelaide with pick 18 in the national draft.

Powell-Pepper debuted in the opening round of his first season, as the Power traveled to Sydney and defeated the Swans by 28 points. He was also awarded the rising star nomination that round for his 19-disposal, two-goal performance.

The big-bodied midfielder has played 57 AFL games to date in his three-year career at the Power, and is another member of the club’s core group of young and exciting players coming through.

Xavier Duursma

Xavier Duursma was Port Adelaide’s third first-round selection in 2018, when it selected the wingman with pick 18.

Duursma played 20 games in his first season at Alberton, and soon became a fan favourite with his ball-winning ability and goal celebrations.

The nifty winger teamed up well with fellow first-round picks Connor Rozee (pick 5) and Zak Butters (pick 12) to bring a lot of excitement to the Power in 2019.

The aerobic machine averaged 20 disposals, five marks, two tackles and kicked 11 goals in his debut season.

Notable pick 18s over the years:

1992 - Leigh Colbert (Geelong)

1999 - Rhyce Shaw (Collingwood)

2000 - Daniel Kerr (West Coast)

2007 - Alex Rance (Richmond)

2008 - Luke Shuey (West Coast)

2012 - Brodie Grundy (Collingwood)

2014 - Isaac Heeney (Sydney)

2016 - Sam Powell-Pepper (Port Adelaide)

2018 - Xavier Duursma (Port Adelaide)