With the NAB AFL Draft Combine over for another year, another Hyundai Help for Kids Lions Academy product has been put through the paces and showed some great promise for the Academy.
This year, Jacob Allison has been on show and at 195cm, shows good size and athleticism.
At this year's Combine, he recorded this year’s best 20–metre sprint time of 2.87s – a feat in which he told NAB AFL Trade Radio took even himself by surprise.
"I was just hoping to crack the 3s at the start of the day,” Allison told NAB AFL Trade Radio.
"I was pretty happy with my first run and then to get that (2.87s) in the second run - I was pretty surprised with myself, very happy.”
Allison also recorded well in the standing vertical jump, recording 67cm.
In 2015, he was one of only five bottom-aged players to make the All Australian team after a strong carnival for Queensland at the Under-18 Championships.
“There was a lot of expectation at the start of the year and I didn’t quite cope with it very well.
“Because of my size, I’ve got to work on being clean down in the contest in the midfield and having clean hands.”
Allison moved to Queensland from Geelong when he was six and began at the Lions’ academy when he was 13 and he credits it for his rise as one of the best footballers in the country at the moment.
"I’ve been there for most of my time and they’ve really fast tracked my development and made me the player I am today,” said Allison.
“I only have to thank them. It’s been great to play with the likes of Ben Keays, Eric Hipwood and Jono Freeman, good to be in a good system."
Allison signalled that he would love to follow in their footsteps, playing with the Brisbane Lions.
“They both stayed here (in Brisbane) and played good footy this year, I’d love to follow them,” said Allison.