The key forward prevailed over the midfielder with St Kilda not only opting to take the heir apparent to Nick Riewoldt over the dynamic midfielder Christian Petracca with the first pick in the national draft but, unusually, four of the top 10 picks in the draft were talls.

St Kilda ignored any niggling concerns raised by McCartin's diabetes and took the power forward. The Saints kept their decision so confidential they did not even inform the player until his name was read out.

"I didn't know, I just found out now like everyone. It's been a bit daunting, a big couple of days, but I'm absolutely stoked to get the opportunity," McCartin said.

"But it's just a number and I'll be the same as everyone at the club."

The McCartin decision meant Melbourne was free to take the best two midfielders in the country, selecting Christian Petracca with pick two and Angus Brayshaw with three. After the selections of Dom Tyson, Christian Salem, Jack Viney and Jimmy Toumpas in recent drafts or trade periods, the Demons have rapidly stockpiled an impressive and deep young midfield of elite talent.

The Giants took the super quick outside midfielder and forward Jarrod Pickett with pick four while Collingwood selected the aggressive midfielder Jordan DeGoey.

The Giants then took Murray Bushrangers tall Caleb Marchbank, a versatile key position player forward and goal kicking midfielder Paul Ahern.

Gold Coast selected key forward ruckman Peter Wright with pick eight – a player once touted to be the first pick.

With Darcy Moore already taken at pick nine as a father-son for Collingwood it meant there were four tall players taken in the top ten.

Geelong with the final pick in the top ten sprung the biggest surprise taking the late bolting Nakia Cockatoo, who missed most of the year with a broken foot only to blitz in the final games of the year to blast into calculations.

The Cats have previously been brave, taking players despite injury concerns. Darcy Lang went to the Cats off a broken leg last year, and years earlier Geelong took Travis Varcoe after a broken foot and even Joel Selwood had queries on his knee, which disuaded other clubs.

The Cockatoo selection also meant there were three indigenous players in the top ten – Pickett Ahern and Cockatoo.