Due to Covid19 restrictions, the various states are conducting their own Draft Combines. The Vic Country NAB AFL Draft Combine took place in Bendigo last week with Sam Butler, brother of Saint Dan Butler the standout. 

20m sprint 


Sam Butler (GWV Rebels) 2.970 seconds
Tom Brown (Murray Bushrangers) 2.983 seconds 
Kai Lohmann (GWV Rebels) 2.986 seconds 

2km time trial


Cooper Hamilton (Bendigo Pioneers) 5:48 minutes
Hamish Sinnott (GWV Rebels) 5:58 minutes 
Mitchell Knevitt (Geelong Falcons) 6:18 minutes 

Standing vertical jump

Tom Brown (Murray Bushrangers) 72cm
Sam Butler (GWV Rebels) 71cm
Josh Gibcus (GWV Rebels) 68cm

Running vertical jump

Josh Gibcus (GWV Rebels) 89cm
Sam Butler (GWV Rebels) 87cm
Jai Serong (GWV Rebels) 86cm

Thanks WJ.

Tom Brown certainly a talented young footballer and has the athletic strengths to support his footy ability. Likely 25-30 pick so he could be on the JT radar.  

The South Australian Combine was held at the weekend and Central District’s Leek Alleer was the star with a national record Combine record in the Running Vertical Jump at SA’s AFL Combine. He registered a staggering 107cm while leaping off his left foot at the University of SA’s Mawson Lakes Campus. The 196cm 20-year-old placed first in all three Vertical Jump categories. Melbourne's NT NGA Andy Moniz-Wakefield was in attendance and placed in the running vertical jump (right foot).

COMBINE RESULTS
20m Sprint
Player Club Time (Seconds)
Harvey Harrison (North) 2.845
Hugh Stagg (Glenelg) 2.910
Jordan Lukac (Eagles) 2.980
Luca Whitelum Central 3.007
Morgan Ferres (Sturt) 3.015

Agility Test
Player Club Time (Seconds)
Alastair Lord (Norwood) 7.94
Cooper Beeken (Glenelg) 8.07
Ronald Fejo (West) 8.08
Cooper Murley (Norwood) 8.20
Hugh Stagg (Glenelg) 8.24

2km Time Trial
Player Club Time (Minutes)
Shay Linke (Central) 6.22
Luca Whitelum (Central 6.26
Luke Beecken (Eagles) 6.26
Harvey Harrison (North) 6.37
Alastair Lord (Norwood) 6.48

Running Vertical Jump - Left Foot
Player Club Height
Leek Allir (Central) 1.07cm (Combine record)
Morgan Ferres (Sturt) 85cm
Jase Burgoyne (Eagles) 85cm
Cooper Murley (Norwood) 82cm
Jason Horne-Francis (South) 82cm

Running Vertical Jump - Right Foot
Player Club Height
Leek Allir (Central 90cm
Cooper Murley (Norwood) 77cm
Zac Becker (Sturt) 77cm
Blayne O'Loughlin (North) 75cm
Andy Moniz-Wakefield (NT) 73cm

Standing Vertical Jump
Player Club Height
Leek Alleer (Central) 75cm
Ronald Fejo (West) 70cm
Harvey Harrison (North) 70cm
Jason Horne-Francis (South) 66cm
Jordan Lukac (Eagles) 66cm

7 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

The South Australian Combine was held at the weekend and Central District’s Leek Alleer was the star with a national record Combine record in the Running Vertical Jump at SA’s AFL Combine. 

He has some very good traits but he’s certainly not watertight.

Taj Woewodin's 20m 2.89 and 2.9 seconds standing up really well. Anyone have his other results?

 

20m sprint

Taj Woewodin (East Fremantle) 2.898 secs
Luke Polson (Peel) 2.900 secs
Noah Pegoraro (West Perth) 2.926 secs

2km time trial


Corey Warner (East Fremantle) 6:20minutes
Arthur Jones (Claremont) 6:30 minutes 

Standing vertical jump

Corey Warner (East Fremantle) 76cm
Noah Pegoraro (West Perth) 75cm
Lachlan Paton (West Perth) 73cm

Running Vertical Jump - Left Foot

Jahmal Stretch (Claremont) 93cm
Corey Warner (East Fremantle) 92cm
Noah Pegoraro (West Perth) 93cm

Running Vertical Jump - Right Foot

Corey Warner (East Fremantle) 100cm
Jahmal Stretch (Claremont) 88cm
Richard Farmer (Subiaco) - 84cm

I will add more as they come available.

11 hours ago, Ethan Tremblay said:

He has some very good traits but he’s certainly not watertight.

Are you referring to his Welsh heritage?

Corey Warner certainly must have impressed. Endurance and agility. His energy and ability to win the footy (in the WA v SA game) should have him fitting in the late 2nd round/early 3rd round selections around 35-42  Might be a handy addition if we go for JVR as our first selection.  

The Top 10 National Results*

2km Time Trial 

Cooper Hamilton (Bendigo Pioneers/VIC) 5:48 mins 
Hamish Sinnott (GWV Rebels/VIC) 5:58 Mitchell Knevitt (Geelong Falcons/VIC) 6:18 Jamieson Ballantyne (GWV Rebels/VIC) 6:19 Kai Lohmann (GWV Rebels/VIC) 6:19 
Corey Warner (East Fremantle) 6:20 
Shay Linke (Central District/SA) 6:22 
Sam Butler (GWV Rebels) 6:23 
Jai Serong (Gippsland Power/VIC) 6:24 
Luca Whitelum (Central District/SA) 6:26

2km Time-Trial (Strava NSW/VIC - Run tracked via app)

Josh Ward (Northern Knights/VIC) 5:57 mins Josh Fahey (GWS Giants Academy) 5:59 
Ned Long (Northern Knights/VIC) 6:05 
Karl Worner (Oakleigh Chargers/VIC) 6:07 Blake Howes (Sandringham Dragons/VIC) 6:08 Connor MacDonald (Dandenong Stingrays/VIC) 6:08 
Finn Callaghan (Sandringham Dragons/VIC) 6:10 
Charlie Dean (Williamstown VFL) 6:11 
Jed Rule (Oakleigh Chargers/VIC) 6:13 
Angus Anderson (Sydney Swans Academy) 6:14

Agility

Alastair Lord (Norwood/SA) 7.940 secs 
Bryce Watson (Swan Districts/WA) 8.006 
Matt Johnson (West Perth/WA) 8.061 
Jesse Motlop (South Fremantle/WA) 8.063 Cooper Beecken (Glenelg/SA) 8.070 
Ronald Fejo Jnr (West Adelaide/NT) 8.080 Arthur Jones (Claremont/WA) 8.189 
Cooper Murley (Norwood/SA) 8.200 
Toby Triffett (Brisbane Lions Academy/QLD) 8.226 
Judd Mcvee (East Fremantle/WA) 8.238

20m Sprint

Harvey Harrison (North Adelaide/SA) 2.845 secs 
Taj Woewodin (East Fremantle/WA) 2.898 
Luke Polson (Peel Thunder/WA) 2.900 
Hugh Stagg (Glenelg/SA) 2.910 
Noah Pegoraro (West Perth/WA) 2.926 
Bryce Watson (Swan Districts/WA) 2.951 
Brad Hough (Peel Thunder/WA) 2.960 
Corey Warner WA (East Fremantle/WA) 2.969 Sam Butler (GWV Rebels/VIC) 2.974 
Mitchell Knevitt (Geelong Falcons/VIC) 2.976

Vertical Jump

Corey Warner (East Fremantle/WA) 76cm William Bella (Gold Coast Academy/QLD) 75 Leek Alleer (Central District/SA) 75 
Noah Pegoraro (West Perth WA) 75 
Lochlan Paton (West Perth WA) 73 
Tom Brown (West Perth WA) 72 
Matt Johnson (West Perth WA) 72 
Luke Polson (Peel Thunder WA) 72 
Sam Butler (GWV Rebels/VIC) 71 
Richard Farmer (Subiaco WA) 71 
Brady Hough (Peel Thunder WA) 71

Running Vertical Jump

Leek Alleer (Central District/SA) 107cm 
Corey Warner (East Fremantle/WA) 100 
Josh Gibcus (GWV Rebels/VIC) 95 
Jahmal Stretch (Claremont WA) 93 
Noah Pegoraro (West Perth WA) 92 
Tyler McGinniss (North Hobart/TAS) 91 
Matt Johnson (West Perth WA) 89 
Kai Lohmann (GWV Rebels/VIC) 88 
Luke Polson (Peel Thunder WA) 88 
Sam Butler (GWV Rebels/VIC) 87

* Victorian trials were carried out by some Vic Country teams and limited numbers doing the Strava NSW/VIC 2km time trial.

All Victorian draft prospects from both Metro and Country (ie all those who were invited to the Draft Combine which was cancelled due to the most recent lockdown) will take part in training sessions at Sandringham on Monday 15 November being their last chance to impress recruiters. 

This should be interesting because all of a sudden a number of players who have been completely out of the limelight for the past three months are going to be front and centre. Reputations could be made if players test well.

1 hour ago, Whispering_Jack said:

All Victorian draft prospects from both Metro and Country (ie all those who were invited to the Draft Combine which was cancelled due to the most recent lockdown) will take part in training sessions at Sandringham on Monday 15 November being their last chance to impress recruiters. 

Are we putting butter on Mac's hands, bandages on his knees, ice on his hamstrings and weights in his runners?

 The interesting one will actually be another NGA prospect in St Kilda’s Mitch Owens who had an enormous game for Vic Metro in July but has barely been seen in the interim. He’s grown from being a medium sized midfielder who is a dime a dozen to a tall who can play midfield and forward who might come in handy.

8 hours ago, Freddy Fuschia said:

 The interesting one will actually be another NGA prospect in St Kilda’s Mitch Owens who had an enormous game for Vic Metro in July but has barely been seen in the interim. He’s grown from being a medium sized midfielder who is a dime a dozen to a tall who can play midfield and forward who might come in handy.

There’s an article by Jon Ralph in today’s Herald Sun Game of Hide & Peak  where he discusses the effect of the lack of game time for Victorians as a result of the Covid19 lockdowns over the past two years and the fact that this might have prevented the emergence of late draft bolters like Marcus Bontempelli and Clayton Oliver in past years. One of his examples is Owens:-

“St Kilda-linked Sandringham Dragon Mitch Owens played only two NAB League games after round 4 but they were a 109-ranking point, 24- possession performance and a 25-possession, 127-ranking point showing.

Would they have been the start of a withering run that would have cemented his place in the top 20 or just a flash in the pan?”

At least now with next Monday’s training session, there’s a brief opportunity for another look, albeit nothing like having had 24 or 25 games of football per year over 2 seasons instead of half a dozen or so.

They will also have more time for testing out the players given there’s no skinfold testing these days. 

Let's be honest we all care more about the 20m sprint because of Taj Woewodins time.

In horse racing you line up form based on sectionals at any given track. If you race at a different track you can't really compare the times.

Young Woey is obviously quick and I'm pretty confident we will pick him up BUT there seems to be alot of WA boys featuring in the 20m times. Better deck?

WJ reports that he spoke this evening with a recruiter who was on hand at today’s combined meet and greet and low intensity and craft-based skills session at Trevor Barker Beach Road Oval, Sandringham.  

Around 30 Vic Metro and 20 Vic Country potential draftees were part of the training session run in two groups and the stars of the day in their brief appearances were Vic Metro’s Nick Daicos who is bound for Collingwood and Vic Country’s excitement machine Josh Rachele.

That said, it wasn’t much of an audition for the draft later this month with a limited workload for players in the wet and blustery conditions. Mac Andrew was there and he spoke to the media. He said he was appreciative of Melbourne’s input during his time as an NGA, but added that he really didn’t care where he ended up, the assumption being that he meant as long as someone drafts him. Some judges who also claim to hold “inside information” reckon he’ll go as high as top 5.

A few of the main draft names from Victoria who were missing due to injury included Sam Darcy, Tyler Sonsie, Marcus Windhager, Sam Butler, Anthony Caminiti and Josh Rentsch. Unfortunately, without the testing involved in the Combines, the day was rather limited in terms of deciding who would draft who. All we know is that there are around about 25 top ten prospects out there. 

Rachele looks amazing. I’m not sure as to whether he would fit into Melbourne’s thinking but he might end up at Gold Coast with pick 3 (after the father/sons 5).