Local talent invited to 2017 NAB AFL Draft Combine

A number of promising NSW/ACT 2017 Draft prospects have been selected to participate in the 2017 NAB AFL Draft Combine.

The Combine is a chance for AFL clubs to assess future talent for this year’s NAB AFL Draft in person, by inviting them to test at Melbourne’s Etihad Stadium.

The three day event will assess each player’s strength and skills through a number of tests including standing vertical jump, agility tests and running tasks.

Players will also be interviewed by recruiters as AFL clubs get to know them in an attempt to capture each player as a person both on and off the field.

Five NSW/ACT players have been selected off the back of their performances in the Allies squad during the NAB AFL U18 Championships. This means that five or more AFL clubs have nominated these talented players to attend.

Wentworth’s Jarrod Brander will take part in the Combine after leading the way in the Allies’ upset win over Vic Metro in July. He has been touted as a possible top-10 draft pick and is known for is attack on the football. Brander took nine marks and kicked three goals in a standout performance against Vic Metro, and produced consistent form across the tournament. His flexibility to move between attack and defence also make him a sought after prospect.

Despite not being selected for every Allies match this year, Wagga Wagga’s Brendan Myers will also attend. As a member of the GWS GIANTS Academy, Myers has impressed many for a number of years. Myers is a key inside-midfielder who has the speed and balance to match the best of them. He has a great awareness for the game and always manages to put himself in the right position to win the ball – a talent all clubs will be looking for.

Myers’ GWS GIANTS Academy teammate, Jack Powell is another NSW/ACT player selected for the Combine following a great tournament for the Allies, where he leadership capabilities shone through. Powell captained the side and was a standout in the match against Western Australia, finishing with a team-high 21 disposals to go with six clearances.

Nicholas Shipley – who could possibly be the first ever Western Sydney product to be drafted – will also head to the Combine. Shipley had a strong start to the NAB AFL U18 Championships, and was best on ground for the Allies against Vic Country. He picked up 21 disposals, seven clearances and laid six tackles to lead the way for his side, an effort which obviously caught the eyes of selectors.

Albury’s Charlie Spargo will be the final NSW/ACT player to join his Allies teammates at the Draft Combine. Spargo has gained a reputation as an industrious midfielder who works hard around the ball and racks up the contested possessions.

AFL National Talent Manager, Kevin Sheehan said this is an exciting time for the clubs involved as the Draft Combine is the final assessment period before the 2017 NAB AFL Draft.

“The Draft Combine is the final component of the talent assessment process for the AFL clubs, giving them one last opportunity to rate the players overall potential,” he said.

“Interviews and medicals as well as physical and skills testing are all part of the Draft Combine as the clubs count down to the 32nd NAB AFL Draft to be held in Sydney on November 24.”

The 2017 NAB AFL Draft Combine will be held from  3-6 October 2017 at Etihad Stadium.

The players invited to State Combines around the country will be released in coming weeks after clubs have submitted their lists. The State Combines are for players that have at least two but up to four clubs interested in them.