Paul Medhurst

Recruited from Claremont with pick 56 in the 2001 National Draft, Paul Medhurst quickly established himself as a livewire small forward at Fremantle, topping the club's goalkicking in 2003 and 2004. Despite his early statistical success, he eventually fell out of favour at the Dockers and was traded to Collingwood following the 2006 season in a high-profile exchange involving Chris Tarrant. At the time, Medhurst was widely perceived as little more than a "steak knives" sweetener to facilitate the deal, arriving at the Magpies with relatively low expectations regarding his future output.

He emphatically defied those perceptions at Collingwood, transforming his game to become a creative half-forward who was deceptively strong overhead for his size. His career peaked in 2008 when he earned All-Australian honours, won the Anzac Day Medal, and led the Magpies' goalkicking table. While he remained a key contributor for several seasons, a combination of foot injuries and fluctuating form saw him struggle to hold his spot during the club's dominant 2010 campaign. He retired at the end of that season, narrowly missing out on selection for Collingwood's premiership side.