St Kilda have named key forward Paddy McCartin as the No.1 pick in this year’s AFL national draft.

There had been considerable speculation for several weeks about who the Saints would take, with their choice coming down to McCartin and midfielder Christian Petracca.

McCartin said he did not know of his selection until the Saints called out his name at the start of Thursday night’s draft on the Gold Coast.

NO.1 DRAFT PICK PADDY MCCARTIN! Saint Paddy’s day! #AFLDraft #SaintsRookie #WelcomePaddy pic.twitter.com/NEGE925NYN

— Digital Rookies (@SaintsRookie) November 27, 2014

The Saints are the first non-expansion team to have the top pick since 2009.

Once they named McCartin, Melbourne predictably used the second pick on midfielder Christian Petracca.

There was also no surprise when the Demons recruited Petracca’s friend and fellow onballer Angus Brayshaw with the No.3 selection.

Speedster Jarrod Pickett went to Greater Western Sydney with the No.4 pick and Collingwood then recruited half-forward Jordan De Goey.

The draft started on a sombre note, with the league offering its condolences to the family and friends of cricketer Phillip Hughes.

“Those of us in the AFL industry, like the rest of the country, have been left numb by the heartbreaking events of the last few days,” AFL chief executive Gill McLachlan said in his opening speech.

“Our thoughts are with the Hughes family, his friends, his teammates, our brothers in sport at Cricket Australia and the entire Australian cricketing community.”

Greater Western Sydney used the sixth and seventh picks on tall defender Caleb Marchbank and midfielder Paul Ahern.

Ruckman Peter Wright then went to Gold Coast and Collingwood had committed to Darcy Moore at pick No.9 as a father-son selection.

Nakia Cockatoo was rated before the draft as a selection bolter and he went to Geelong at pick 10.

Round 1

1 St Kilda Patrick McCartin, Geelong Falcons
2 Melbourne Christian Petracca, Eastern Ranges
3 Melbourne Angus Brayshaw, Sandringham Dragons
4 GWS Giants Jarrod Pickett, South Fremantle
5 Collingwood Jordan De Goey, Oakleigh Chargers
6 GWS Giants Caleb Marchbank, Murray Bushrangers
7 GWS Giants Paul Ahern, Calder Cannons
8 Gold Coast Suns Peter Wright, Calder Cannons
9 Collingwood Darcy Moore, Oakleigh Chargers FS
10 Geelong Cats Nakia Cockatoo, NT Thunder
11 West Coast Eagles Liam Duggan, Western Jets
12 Richmond Corey Ellis, Western Jets
13 Fremantle Lachlan Weller, Southport/Broadbeach
14 Adelaide Jake Lever, Calder Cannons
15 Gold Coast Suns Jarrod Garlett, South Fremantle
16 North Melbourne Sam Durdin, West Adelaide
17 Essendon Kyle Langford, Northern Knights
18 Sydney Swans Isaac Heeney, Cardiff FS
19 Carlton Blaine Boekhorst, Swan Districts
20 Essendon Jayden Laverde, Western Jets
21 St Kilda Hugh Goddard, Geelong Falcons

Round 2

22 St Kilda Daniel McKenzie,Oakleigh Chargers
23 GWS Giants Patrick McKenna,Gisborne Football
24 GWS Giants Jack Steele, Belconnen FS
25 North Melbourne Daniel Nielson, Eastern Ranges
26 Western Bulldogs Toby McLean, Oakleigh Chargers
27 Western Bulldogs Lukas Webb, Gippsland Power
28 Carlton Dillon Viojo-Rainbow, Western Jets
29 Gold Coast Suns Touk Miller, Calder Cannons
30 Collingwood Brayden Maynard, Sandringham Dragons
31 Hawthorn Daniel Howe, Murray Bushrangers
32 West Coast Eagles Tom Lamb, Dandenong Stingrays
33 Richmond Connor Menadue, Western Jets
34 Fremantle Connor Blakely, Swan Districts
35 Adelaide Harrison Wigg, North Adelaide
36 North Melbourne Ed Vickers-Willis, Sandringham Dragons
37 Sydney Swans James Rose, Sturt
38 Sydney Swans Jack Hiscox, Sydney Uni FS
39 Western Bulldogs Declan Hamilton, Port Adelaide
40 Melbourne Alex Neal-Bullen, Glenelg

Round 3

41 St Kilda Jack Lonie, Dandenong Stingrays
42 Melbourne Billy Stretch, Glenelg FS
43 Adelaide Mitch McGovern, Claremont
44 Brisbane Lions Liam Dawson, AspleyFS
45 Western Bulldogs Bailey Dale, Dandenong Stingrays
46 Western Bulldogs Caleb Daniel, South Adelaide
47 Geelong Cats Cory Gregson, Glenelg
48 Collingwood Matthew Goodyear, Calder Cannons
49 Hawthorn Teia Miles, Geelong Falcons
50 Hawthorn Marc Pittonet, Oakleigh Chargers
51 West Coast Eagles Jackson Nelson, Geelong Falcons
52 Richmond Nathan Drummond, Murray Bushrangers
53 Melbourne Oscar McDonald, North Ballarat Rebels
54 Fremantle Ed Langdon, Sandringham Dragons
55 Geelong Cats Dean Gore, Sturt
56 Port Adelaide Dougal Howard, Murray Bushrangers
57 Sydney Swans Passed
58 Adelaide Harry Dear, Sandringham Dragons

Round 4

59 Geelong Cats Jordan Cunico, Gippsland Power
60 Carlton Clem Smith, Perth
61 Brisbane Lions Harris Andrews, Aspley FS
62 Western Bulldogs Zaine Cordy, Geelong Falcons FS
63 Carlton Jayden Foster, Calder Cannons
64 Gold Coast Suns Passed
65 Brisbane Lions Josh Watts, Glenorchy
66 West Coast Eagles Damien Cavka, Calder Cannons
67 Richmond Daniel Butler, North Ballarat Rebels
68 Fremantle Josh Deluca-Cardillo, Subiaco
69 Port Adelaide Logan Austin, Belconnen
70 Sydney Swans Abaina Davis, UNSW-Easts

Round 5

71 Carlton Passed
72 GWS Giants Passed
73 Brisbane Lions Jaden McGrath, Bendigo Pioneers
74 Gold Coast Suns Passed
75 Collingwood Passed
76 West Coast Eagles Alec Waterman, ClaremontFS
77 Richmond Reece McKenzie, Northern Knights
78 Port Adelaide Jesse Palmer, North Ballarat Rebels
79 Sydney Swans Passed

Round 6

80 GWS Giants Passed
81 Brisbane Lions Josh McGuinness, Lauderdale
82 Carlton Passed
83 Richmond Passed
84 Port Adelaide Billy Frampton, South Fremantle

Round 7

85 GWS Giants Passed
86 Brisbane Lions Passed
87 Carlton Passed