A total of 101 draft prospects will be attempting to set themselves apart from the rest by performing well in the range of pre-arranged tests designed to measure their athletic attributes such as speed, agility and endurance, along with refined drills to assess football skills.
A record five Hyundai Brisbane Lions Academy members – Harris Andrews (Aspley), Liam Dawson (Aspley), Matt Hammelmann (Morningside), Nick Jackson (Aspley), and Matthew Uebergang (Ipswich) – received an invitation to take part in the four-day event at Etihad Stadium.
It’s a terrific result for the five players, who have obviously been identified by more than a couple of AFL clubs as being draft-worthy.
Last year, Jonathan Freeman and Archie Smith were the only Lions Academy members to attend the 2013 AFL Draft Combine – and both were ultimately drafted to the Club.
First-year Lion Nick Robertson was among the 2013 Combine standouts, recording the second best result of any athlete in the 3km time trial (9:45), while fellow draftee Tom Cutler ranked eighth in the 20m sprint (2.93 seconds).
Rookie Archie Smith, meanwhile, posted the equal fifth best running vertical leap in the Combine’s history (97cm), and also finished top 10 in the standing vertical leap.
Over the years, some of the competition’s elite have featured high in the testing results. However, history also tells us that outstanding results at the Draft Combine don’t necessarily translate into a successful AFL career.
Lions.com.au takes a look back at some of the best results in Combine history.
ALL-TIME AFL DRAFT COMBINE RECORDS
Standing Vertical Jump
85cm - Dean Towers (Sydney)
83cm - Trent Croad (Hawthorn / Fremantle)
83cm - Jesse Lonergan (Gold Coast)
82cm - Spencer White (St Kilda)
81cm - David Gourdis (Richmond)
80cm - Dylan Harper (Not Drafted)
80cm - Cameron Croad (Carlton)
80cm – Eric Wallace (North Melbourne)
Running Vertical Jump
102cm - Jared Brennan (Brisbane Lions / Gold Coast)
102cm - Nic Naitanui (West Coast)
101cm - David Gourdis (Richmond)
100cm - Spencer White (St Kilda)
97cm - Kade Kolodjashnij (Gold Coast)
97cm - Archie Smith (Brisbane Lions)
97cm - Laine Wilkins (Not Drafted)
96cm - Danyle Pearce (Port Adelaide / Fremantle)
95cm - Dion Woods (Fremantle)
Agility Run (sec)
7.77 - Stephen Hill (Fremantle)
7.79 - Danyle Pearce (Port Adelaide / Fremantle)
7.80 - Elliot Yeo (Brisbane Lions / West Coast)
7.80 - Nathan van Berlo (Adelaide)
7.86 - Ahmed Saad (St Kilda)
20m Sprint (sec)
2.75 - Joel Wilkinson (Gold Coast)
2.78 - Brad Harvey (Brisbane Lions)
2.78 - Jonathon Marsh (Collingwood)
2.79 - Danyle Pearce (Port Adelaide / Fremantle)
2.80 - Ashley Smith (West Coast)
2.81 - Nathan Batley (Not Drafted)
2.81 - Adam Saad (Not Drafted)
Shuttle Run (Beep Test)
16.6 - Billy Hartung (Hawthorn)
16.1 - Bradley Hill (Hawthorn)
15.12 - Will Hoskin-Elliott (GWS Giants)
15.8 - Mark Berts (Not Drafted)
15.8 - Tom Rischbieth (Port Adelaide)
15.7 - Tom Sheridan (Fremantle)
15.7 - Hayden Hector (Not Drafted)
3km Time Trial
9:30 - Tom Rieschbieth (Port Adelaide)
9:32 - Josh Kelly (GWS Giants) 2013
9:37 - Tim Houlihan (West Coast)
9:43 - Callan Geary (Not Drafted)
9:46 - Nick Robertson (Brisbane Lions)
9:48 - Josh Kelly (GWS Giants) 2012
9:51 - Jake Kelly (Adelaide)
9:52 - Bradley Hill (Hawthorn)
9:53 - Will Hoskin-Elliott (GWS Giants)
2013 AFL DRAFT COMBINE RESULTS
3km Time Trial
1. Josh Kelly 9m 32s
2. Nick Robertson 9m 46s
3. Jake Kelly 9m 51s
4. James Tsitas 9m 54s
5. Darcy Byrne-Jones 10m
6. Nathan Drummond 10m1s
7. Eli Templeton 10m5s
8. Alex Pearce 10m6s
9. Kade Kolodjashnij 10m10s
10. Nathan Freeman 10m15s
Shuttle Run (Beep Test)
1. Billy Hartung (level 16.6)
2. Jake Barrett (15.6)
3. Alex Pearce (15.5)
4. Eli Templeton (15.3)
5. Darcy Byrne-Jones (15.2)
6. Nathan Drummond (15.2)
7. Jake Kelly (15.2)
8. James Tsitas (15.2)
9. Josh Kelly (15.1)
10. Nathan Freeman (14.10)
20m Sprint
1. Jonathon Marsh (2.78 seconds)
2. Nathan Freeman (2.82)
3. Daniel Flynn (2.83)
4. James Siciliy (2.84)
5. Karl Amon (2.88)
6. Jack Leslie (2.90)
7. Richard Bourne (2.92)
8. Tom Cutler (2.93)
9. Jake Barrett (2.94)
10.Darcy Byrne-Jones (2.94)
Agility Run
1. Zac Webster (7.97 seconds)
2. Daniel Flynn (8.08)
3. Richard Bourne (8.15)
4. Darcy Byrne-Jones (8.15)
5. Karl Amon (8.18)
6. Dylan Main (8.25)
7. Daniel Cox (8.26)
8. Dayle Garlett (8.29)
9. Ben Brown (8.29)
10.Tom Barrass (8.32)
Repeat Sprint
1. Nathan Freeman (23.62 seconds)
2. Darcy Byrne-Jones (24.06)
3. Jonathon Marsh (24.18)
4. Daniel Flynn (24.25)
5. Josh Kelly (24.31)
6. Nick Bourke (24.31)
7. Daniel Cox (24.31)
8. Louis Herbert (24.38)
9. Tom Langdon (24.45)
10. Tom Vandeleur (24.49)
Standing Vertical Jump
1. Kade Kolodjashnij (79cm)
2. Brady Grey (76cm)
3. Fraser Thurlow (75cm)
4. Tom Vandeleur (72cm)
5. Nathan Drummond (72cm)
6. Jarman Impey (72cm)
7. Louis Herbert (71cm)
8. Archie Smith (70cm)
9. Aliir Aliir (70cm)
10. Jonathon Marsh (70cm)
Running Vertical Jump (right leg)
1. Kade Kolodjashnij (97cm)
2. Brady Grey (92cm)
3. Jason Holmes (88cm)
4. Jake Kolodjashnij (85cm)
5. Jarman Impey (84cm)
6. Fraser Thurlow (83cm)
7. Nathan Drummond (83cm)
8. Ben Brown (82cm)
9. Loius Herbert (81cm)
10. Josh Kelly (80cm)
Running Vertical Jump (left leg)
1. Archie Smith (97cm)
2. Brady Grey (89cm)
3. Tom Vandeleur (89cm)
4. Tom Barrass (89cm)
5. Jake Kolodjashnij (88cm)
6. Fraser Thurlow (87cm)
7. Josh Kelly (86cm)
8. Jarman Impey (85cm)
9. Louis Herbert (85cm)
