Ahead of next Thursday’s NAB AFL Draft, westernbulldogs.com.au profiles some of the Club’s best late picks. Today, it’s a defender who arrived near the turn of the last century.
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It’s fair to say the Western Bulldogs got outstanding value from pick 66 in the 1999 AFL National Draft.
The Dogs might not have known it at the time, but Ryan Hargrave was a 200-gamer in the making.
Hargrave was part of the Dogs’ 1999 ‘super draft’ which included Robert Murphy (pick 13), Daniel Giansiracusa (32), Mitch Hahn (37) and Lindsay Gilbee (43).
Awarded the Dogs’ Best First Year player in 2002, he went on to become a key part of the Dogs’ 2008-10 finals campaigns.
The latter part of Hargrave’s career was hampered by repeated foot and ankle injuries, but he achieved his 200th game milestone in Round 10 of the 2012 season.
The Ryan Hargrave Files:
Drafted: Selection 66, 1999
Played: 2002-2012
Games: 203
Goals: 37
Best First Year player: 2002
