Collingwood produced the shock of the national draft on Saturday morning when it threw former Fremantle and North Melbourne enforcer Leigh Brown a lifeline with pick No.73 overall.
Brown's 181-game career looked headed for the scrapheap at the end of the 2008 season when he was delisted by the Kangaroos after six years' service and 118 matches.
However the 26-year-old, who also played 63 games in three seasons for the Dockers after debuting in 2000, was given hope of resuming his career next season when Collingwood invited him to join its pre-season program recently.
Brown's surprising revival was complete when he was selected with the Magpies' fifth and final pick.
Collingwood football operations manager Geoff Walsh believes Brown was a bargain basement selection.
"We think Leigh's, at 26 (years of age) going on 27 (and) 180 games, got plenty of footy left in him," said Walsh.
"His ability to play in a number of positions probably lends itself to say in our situation, particularly down back if we're looking for some coverage, if we're looking for a player who is still in the prime of his career age-wise (and) he doesn't get injured, we thought where we picked him he was a good-value pick."
"A player faced with the situation where his career was over (and) he gets a second chance, what that does to him, I suppose, proves whether he's going to play another 10 or 110 games."
Magpies national recruiting manager Derek Hine said Brown addressed a hole on Collingwood's playing list.
"We brought three 17-year-olds and an 18-year-old in and when you look at that Shane Wakelin's gone out and Simon Prestigiacomo of late has had a few injury concerns so we really needed to bring in security," Hine explained.
"The ball's in Leigh's court now."
Earlier in the draft the Magpies picked up Murray Bushrangers midfielder Steele Sidebottom with its first choice (No.11 overall).
Sidebottom produced one of the greatest underage individual performances of all time in late September when he slammed home 10 goals for Murray during their TAC Cup Grand Final victory at Telstra Dome.
Hine described the club as fortunate to have picked up Sidebottom outside the top 10.
"Steele was a boy that we rated highly and fortunately for us, and we were going with the strategy of picking the best player, we were able to fulfil that need in the midfield so we're really pleased," Hine said.
Hine said that, heading into the draft, the club was looking for the kind of versatility that Sidebottom possesses.
"He's played well forward, he's played well in defence," he highlighted. "To come in on the back of Dale Thomas and (Scott) Pendlebury and these sorts of guys who all are elite performers when the stage is at its greatest, if you see Steele I don't think there's any doubt of that (about him)."
The Magpies used their other draft picks on Dayne Beams (29), Jarrad Blight (45) and Luke Rounds (46).