Jack Martin’s decision to quit Gold Coast leaves Brad Crouch as the only player still at the same AFL club that paid a king’s ransom to claim him via the short-lived GWS mini-draft.
And Crouch could make it four-from-four if he accepts a trade back to Victoria as has been widely speculated following Adelaide’s disastrous season.
Jaeger O’Meara (Gold Coast) and Crouch (Adelaide) were taken first and second respectively at the inaugural GWS mini-draft at the end of 2011.
At the second and final mini-draft in 2012, Martin (Gold Coast) and Jesse Hogan (Melbourne) were snapped up first and second.
That elite foursome were undoubtedly gifted juniors, but for varying reasons, none have enjoyed the smooth rise to superstardom that had been hoped for.
As part of their entry concessions, the fledgling Giants were handed four extra selections that they couldn’t use themselves but would auction off to the highest bidders.
Clubs that successfully traded for one of the selections would then use them to choose a player from a small pool of 17-year-olds, too young for that year’s main draft, at the mini-draft
To secure Martin, the Suns gave pick No.2 to the Giants and also switched end-of-first-round compensation picks to seal the deal.
Like the other three players taken via the scheme, Martin was too young to play AFL footy the year after he was selected and made his senior debut in round one, 2014.
He has gone on to play 97 games, flashing brilliance on occasion, but has been largely unable to live up to that high price paid by Gold Coast.
O’Meara, who Suns chairman Tony Cochrane recently criticised over his departure, cost the club more and returned less before he split for Hawthorn.
Gold Coast coughed up pick No. 4 at the 2011 draft and a mid first-round compensation pick for O’Meara, who requested a trade after a horror run with a knee injury that followed his 44 senior appearances for the Suns.
The Demons secured Hogan after sending selections three and 13 to GWS in exchange for pick 20, and Dom Barry.
He carried the burden of great expectation at Melbourne, booting 152 goals in 71 games, before asking for a trade to Fremantle on compassionate grounds.
Injury-struck Crouch has been restricted to 83 of a possible 160 games with the Crows.
Adelaide gave the Giants pick No.10 and a mid first-round compensation pick but also received the rights to defender Luke Brown, who has played 150 games.