AFL draft time. It gives fans who have been forced to endure a season, or seasons, of tough results reason for hope and optimism.

It couldn't be truer for the Dockers right now.

Fremantle this year has its best hand at the draft since 1999, when it took club greats Matthew Pavlich and Paul Hasleby, and also landed Leigh Brown.

Matthew Pavlich was one of the last early draft successes for the Dockers. ( AAP: Dan Himbrechts )

With picks two and five, the club has access to two of the best teenagers in the country.

West Coast's haul of picks looks handy as well — five selections in the first two rounds at 13, 21, 26, 32, 37.

"Thirteen presents a really good opportunity, but also those picks in the 20s as well we're excited about," Eagles coach Adam Simpson said as the club started pre-season.

But a quick look at recent history would show there are no guarantees in the draft — and you need to look no further than Fremantle's record in the first round over the last decade.

Since 2007, the Dockers' first round picks have played an average of just 49 games for the club. None have been selected in the All-Australian team and none have won a best and fairest.

Stephen Hill, the number three selection in the 2008 draft, has been the best of the group so far, playing 190 games.

Of course, this number will fluctuate with many players still active, but it's fair to say the club would've expected more at this point.

The Eagles have fared better with their top picks, with Nic Naitanui among them. ( AAP Image: Julian Smith )

A tale of two clubs

West Coast's recent strike rate has been much better.

The club has had nine first round selections since 2007 — and those players have averaged 88 games each.

Nic Naitanui and Andrew Gaff are both All-Australians, while Gaff has also won a best-and-fairest.

Where the Dockers have done well, though, is plucking talent later in the draft, with stars Lachie Neale and Michael Walters both taken in the 50s.

This year's Rising Star nominee, Luke Ryan, looks like a good get as well, after being chosen at 66 last year.

But perhaps the most notable is skipper Nat Fyfe, who was taken with selection 20 in 2009 — arguably one of the biggest draft steals of all time.

Nat Fyfe was looked over 19 times before being chosen, and wasn't even the Dockers' top pick. ( AAP: Tony McDonough )

Players taken before the Brownlow Medallist that year include Luke Tapscott, Jordan Gysberts and Christian Howard — all who have already been delisted by their respective clubs.

It shows being a highly rated junior doesn't necessarily equate to success at the highest level.

Drafting is an inexact science, with clubs pouring increasing amounts of money into recruiting networks to mitigate against making the wrong decision on draft day.

The 'go home' wildcard

But there are some things that can't be analysed on a spreadsheet — including how likely interstate players are to return home at some point in their careers.

The Eagles and Fremantle have traditionally been pretty good at keeping players, whereas teams like Brisbane and Gold Coast have struggled in recent times.

Brownlow Medallist Shane Woewodin was an assistant coach at the Lions, after playing 200 games at AFL level with both the Demons and Collingwood.

The West Australian played his entire career in Melbourne and believes the "go home" factor is overplayed in the AFL.

Shane Woewodin, who won the 2000 Brownlow Medal, says he didn't want to stay in Perth. ( AAP: Julian Smith )

"For me the two WA clubs weren't interested in me so never drafted me. I was too slow in their opinion," he said.

"Secondly, I didn't want to stay in Perth, I wanted to get to Victoria and play football over there.

"I thought leaving home early would definitely assist me with my growth and maturity as a young man."

Fremantle experienced both sides of the coin during October's trade period.

Nathan Wilson and Brandon Matera both returned to play in WA, while Lachie Weller and Hayden Crozier returned to their home states.

"'Going home' will always be the reason used to leave," Woewodin said.

"But sometimes I think there are more underlying issues beneath the surface. It might be club culture or team success."

"Families play a big part in this also, they often don't want their boys to leave home. We see the looks on their faces on national TV [on draft day] when the boy's names are read out."

"Parents should encourage and endorse their boys to leave, go and build a career."

Regardless of past failures and future risks, it appears both WA Clubs have given themselves an excellent opportunity to build for future success in this draft.

It is now about picking the right players and providing an environment in which they can thrive.