114 of the country’s best draft prospects will assemble at Etihad Stadium this week to showcase their abilities as part of the 2012 NAB AFL Draft Combine.

It is one of the most important events on the AFL's off-season calendar, as club recruiters get an opportunity to measure the athletic attributes - such as speed, agility and endurance - of the potential draftees.

Brisbane Lions National Talent Manager Rob Kerr said his team would use the next few days to gain a valuable insight into the abilities of those players who are already firmly on the Club’s radar.

“We will probably be looking more closely at those players who have already been identified by our recruiters throughout the year,” Kerr told lions.com.au.

“The process certainly helps us to gain extra data on these players and make a more accurate projection on their athletic abilities.”

Kerr used Elliot Yeo as a recent example of how a player’s performance at the Draft Combine can help validate the opinions of recruiters.

“We had a really good look at Elliot throughout the year and rated him highly,” Kerr said.

“The way he tested - particularly with the agility test - confirmed the attributes we thought he already possessed. It helped paint a clearer picture, and really cemented our view on him as a prospect.”

As well as measuring athletic ability, the Draft Combine also features medical screening, skills testing, and player interviews.

“We probably don’t place too great an emphasis on the skill tests - only because they’re not performed under the same pressure you would find in actual match conditions,” Kerr said.

“The data from their running tests is very important, and the interview process helps us better determine a players’ individual personality attributes.”

A brief program of what’s scheduled to take place at the 2012 NAB AFL Draft Combine is provided below:

Tuesday 2 October 2012
• Fitness Assessment (height / weight / skinfolds / arm length / handspan)
• Medical Checks
• Individual Photos
• Psychomotor Tests (reaction time / decision-making / peripheral awareness)
• Club Interviews

Wednesday 3 October 2012
• Medical Screening
• Sprint / Agility Testing
• Club Interviews

Thursday 4 October 2012
• Handball / Clean Hands
• Kicking Assessment
• Goal Kicking Assessment
• Shuttle Run

Friday 5 October 2012
• Psychomotor Tests (reaction time / decision-making / peripheral awareness)
• 3km Time Trial
• Combine Review