Drew Banfield will forever have a place in AFL history. And in round seven history for the Eagles.

Selected at #1 in the 1992 AFL National Draft by the West Coast Eagles, he was the seventh No.1 pick overall and, moreover, he was the first No.1 pick to play in an AFL grand final and to win an AFL premiership. Additionally, he was the first No.1 pick to play 200 AFL games.

Banfield, who played 265 games for the Eagles from 1993-2006 and was a member of the 1994 and 2006 premiership teams, posted his double-century in round seven 2003, when the Eagles beat Geelong by 16 points at Subiaco

Coincidentally, Michael Gardiner, the Eagles’ other No.1 pick, played his 100^th AFL game the same day.

So, as we continue the Coronavirus pandemic footy flashback series, Banfield is the headline story in the “best of round seven”.

It is a shared top billing with the WACA Ground, because it was in round even, 1987 the Eagles played for the first time at WA cricket headquarters. But such has been the WACA Ground’s role in Eagles history it will be covered in depth separately.

Banfield, the now 42-year-old Managing Director at Avivar Group, a provider of programmed roof maintenance, repairs and restoration for residential, commercial and government buildings across Perth, is a deluxe member of the 34-member No.1 draft pick club.

In addition to his 265 games and 1994-2006 premierships he has on his glittering CV the 2005 grand final loss, 19 finals, 153 career wins, 4130 possessions and the 1996 Eagles Club Champion Award.

He ranks eighth among the 34 No.1 picks for games played behind Luke Hodge (341), Nick Riewoldt (336), Brendon Goddard (334), Brett Deledio (275), Marc Murphy (269), Jeff White (268) and Bryce Gibbs (266), and is fourth in wins behind Hodge (298), Goddard (183) and Riewoldt (168).

Only Hodge, with five grand finals, has played more than Banfield, who ranks second in this category equal with Gardiner, Riewoldt and Goddard, while Banfield is outright second in finals behind Hodge (25) and ahead of Goddard (18), Riewoldt (17) and Gardiner (15).

Despite playing in an era in which average possessions were lower than in more recent years, Banfield is eighth in possessions in the #1 draft picks club behind Goddard (7606), Hodge (7589), Murphy (6649), Deledio (6612), Gibbs (6141) Riewoldt (5613) and Adam Cooney (5415).

Among 17 No.1 picks to play 150 games or more, Banfield is one of only four to play his entire career with one club. The others have been Riewoldt, Murphy and Matthew Kreuzer.

Banfield is also one of 12 No.1 picks to have won a club best and fairest. Riewoldt, six-times best and fairest at St Kilda, is a runaway leader in this category from Hodge and Murphy (2), Banfield, Goddard, White, Gibbs, Darren Gaspar, Travis Johnstone, David Swallow, Lachie Whitfield and Martin Leslie (1).

Leslie? How many people remembered him? The Port Adelaide and South Australian State of Origin defender who was the first player chosen with the first pick in the first draft by the Brisbane Bears in 1986.

Having played two more years in the SANFL after being drafted, he debuted in the then VFL at 26 in 1989 and played 107 games with the Bears over six years.

Now, it’s trivia time. We’ve given you 16 No.1 picks. How many of the other members of the #1 draft pick club can you name? With their draft year?

Who was the youngest #1 pick? The oldest? And who were three No.1 picks among the first five, two drafted to Richmond and one to Geelong, who played just 75 games between them?

No points for knowing that Riewoldt is the leading goal-kicker among No.1 picks, but who is ranked second?

For bonus points, who is the only #1 pick to win a Brownlow Medal? And a Norm Smith Medal?

Who are the three No.1 picks to poll 100 Brownlow votes?

And who are the 10 No.1 picks to win All-Australian selection?

For the trivia players, Adam Cooney is second in goals among #1 picks behind Riewoldt and is also the Brownlow Medallist, while Hodge is the Norm Smith Medallist. He won two.

The All-Australians were Riewoldt (5), Hodge (2), Goddard (2), Deledio (2), Darren Gasper (2), Gardiner (1), Cooney (1), Murphy (1), Lachie Whitfield (1) and Leslie (1).

Leslie won All-Australian honours after the 1988 Bi-Centennial Carnival.

Richard Lounder, pick No.1 in 1987, was a ruckman from Central District in the SANFL. Drafted at 20, he was 22 when he had nine possessions and kicked four goals on debut against North Melbourne in round five, 1989. He had one possession and kicked one goal the following week, went without a possession in his third game against West Coast, and had two possessions in round eight against Essendon. He never played again.

Anthony Banik, the youngest No.1 pick at 16 in 1989, hailed from Won Wrong Woodside Football Club in Gippsland and played 49 games for Richmond from 1990-94. And Stephen Hooper, a 198cm ruckman from East Perth, was #1 pick in 1990 and played 21 games with Geelong from 1991-93.

John Hutton, No.1 pick from Claremont to Brisbane in 1991, is the oldest No.1 pick at 25. The full forward with the trademark helmet played 36 games with three clubs – 18 with Brisbane in 1992, five with Sydney in 1993 and 13 with Fremantle in 1995.

And the three No.1 picks to have polled 100 Brownlow votes are Riewoldt (153), Hodge (131) and Murphy (112).

Round seven at a glance

West Coast have gone 19-14 through 33 games in round seven. They are unbeaten against Brisbane (3-0), Hawthorn (3-0), Gold Coast (2-0), North Melbourne (2-0) and Collingwood (1-0), have the edge over Port Adelaide (2-1), and an even record against Geelong (2-2), St Kilda (1-1), Fremantle (1-1) and Carlton (1-1).

They are on the wrong side of the ledger against Melbourne (1-3) and have never beaten Essendon (0-2), Richmond (0-1), Adelaide (0-1) and the now defunct Fitzroy (0-1).

They have enjoyed an aggregate 13-3 record in Perth – 9-3 at Subiaco, 2-0 at the WACA Ground and 2-0 at Optus Stadium – and are a disappointing 2-9 in Victoria – (0-3) at Docklands, 0-2 at the MCG and Waverley, 1-2 at Kardinia Park and 1-0 at Princes Park.

They are 2-0 at the Gabba, 0-1 at Football Park but 1-0 at Adelaide Oval, and 1-1 in Tasmania – 0-1 at North Hobart Oval and 1-0 at York Park in Launceston. 

Round seven specialist

Chris Mainwaring only played six round seven games in his 13 years and 201 games in the AFL, but when he got to the line he was a round seven specialist. Four times he led the possession-count, once he was second on the possession count, and three times he collected maximum Brownlow Medal votes – each time in wins in 1991-94-96.

He didn’t play in round seven in 1988-90-93-95-97-98-99.

That left only one ‘other’ game, where he had 12 points in a loss.

His nine round seven Brownlow votes sees him lead the club list from Matt Priddis (7), Elliot Yeo (7), Chad Fletcher (6), Daniel Kerr (5) and Mark LeCras (5).

The ever-popular wingman started his round seven domination in the club’s first season in the AFL in 1987, when he picked up 27 possessions in a 19-point Friday night WACA Ground win over the Brisbane Bears in Robert Wiley’s 100^th AFL game. Ross Glendinning had 17 possessions and kicked three goals in his 196^th game overall to take the three votes.