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A bad attitude, injury, or poor career decisions can determine the trajectory of an AFL wunderkind. Sometimes the massive pressure that comes with massive hype also hurts their chances of greatness.
For every Wayne Carey that makes it, hundreds don't. This article looks at some of the talented youngsters who couldn't make it big in the AFL despite high expectations.
Top 5 AFL careers that were cut short
5. Chris Groom
Groom is most known for being part of the trade deal that brought Andrew McLeod, who is regarded as one of the greatest AFL players ever, to Adelaide.
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He was recruited from South Adelaide in 1991 by Adelaide. He debuted in round one against Richmond in 1992 and scored two goals. His time at Adelaide was plagued by illness and injury, and after 12 games for the club, he was traded to Fremantle in exchange for McLeod. In the seven games he was available for Fremantle, he scored 18 goals.
He was deregistered by Fremantle in 1995 and recruited by North Melbourne in the 1995 AFL draft. A week before the start of the season, he sustained a knee injury and had reconstruction surgery. Five months later, the same knee got injured and he had to do the surgery again. He managed to play five games for the 'Roos before he retired in 1998.
#4 Justin Koschitzke
Koschitzke was the second pick in the 2000 AFL draft by St Kilda. He played every game apart from the first two rounds in his debut season. He won the AFL Rising Star Award that season. He played either as a ruckman or forward. Many of his seasons were riddled with injuries.
In the 2006 round 6 match against the Bulldogs, he was selected after returning from a quadricep injury. Forward Daniel Giansiracusa knocked him out and he was diagnosed with a fractured skull, and after he had not regained his hearing four weeks later, he was ruled out for the rest of the season.
In 2009, he played 20 out of 22 matches for the Saints as a forward. They were minor premiers that year but lost the grand final by a 12-point margin.
He retired in 2013 after another series of injuries.
#3 Brendon Goddard
An investigation into salary cap breaches saw Carlton lose a lifelong fan who was the number 1 pick of the 2002 national draft to St Kilda. Goddard was part of the 2004 Wizard Home Loans Cup winning side – St Kilda's second AFL pre-season competition win.
In the round 7 clash of the 2007 season against Sydney, he picked up an ACL injury, which ended his season.
He won one more minor premiership and was selected in the All-Australian team twice before he moved to Essendon where he retired in 2018.
#2 Adam Cooney
Cooney was recruited as the number one pick of the 2003 National Draft. He was known for his pace and kicking ability. He played 19 games and scored 11 goals for the Western Bulldogs in his debut season. He continued to grow as a player and won the 2008 Brownlow Medal and was selected for the All-Australian team that year.
In 2010, his struggles with injuries began. He regained his form in 2013, playing 19 games, kicking 19 goals and tallying 485 disposals for the season.
He was traded to Essendon in 2014 where he retired in 2016.
#1 Jack Watts
He was recruited as the first overall selection in the 2008 draft by Melbourne. He was given the Guernsey number of club legend Norm Smith. This put a lot of pressure on him and opened him up to criticism.
A quad strain followed by a back injury slowed his preparation for the 2010 season. When he returned, he showed glimpses of the top player everyone expected him to be.
In 2011, however, many criticized him for his inconsistencies. Herald Sun writer Mark Robinson described him as an "almost player," as he "almost took the mark, almost won the ball and almost changed the game.”
He continued to struggle with his form and was moved to defense before coach Mark Neeld was sacked in 2013. He was brought back to the forward line again by interim coach Neil Craig, scoring 18 goals in 11 matches.
Despite the approval of new coach Paul Roos in the 2014 season, Watts was heavily criticized by the media.
His injury during the 2015 preseason made him miss the next three months.
His inconsistencies again sold him to the media as he repeatedly caught the stick for Melbourne's losses.
In the 2016 season, he improved again. He played every game and scored a career-high 38 goals.
He was traded to Port Adelaide in 2017 where he retired in 2020.
