AFL opens its door to aspiring footballers

The AFL today announced that it would increase the number of players it will scrutinise as part of the search for talent for this year’s 25th NAB AFL Draft, to be held on the Gold Coast on November 18, 2010.

This week, 100 players from all states and territories will receive an invitation to attend the 2010 NAB AFL Draft National Combine, formerly the draft camp; to be held from September 28 to October 1, 2010 at the Australian Institute of Sport.

AFL National Talent Manager, Kevin Sheehan, said the increase in numbers was designed to give added opportunities to aspiring players to impress AFL club recruiting staff.

“The increase of 18 players from 2009 will give up and coming players a greater chance of being drafted into the AFL. It will also help meet the demand for more players, given the AFL’s expansion over the next two years with new clubs coming into the Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney.

“The term ‘Combine’ will be used to describe the search for talent as the AFL seeks the combination of the football skills, athletic capabilities and mental toughness needed to play at the elite level,” Mr Sheehan said.

The Combine brand will also be used to describe player testing at state level for the AFL Draft, with a further 112 players to be invited to the 2010 NAB AFL Draft State Combine:

NAB AFL Draft State Combine
Melbourne, October 2, 2010
60 Players from Victoria, NSW/ACT, Queensland and Tasmania

NAB AFL Draft State Combine
Adelaide, October 9, 2010
21 players from South Australia and Northern Territory

NAB AFL Draft State Combine
Perth, October 10, 2010
31 players from Western Australia

Players who miss out on the initial state selection will still have the opportunity to be added to the AFL Draft State Combine over the remainder of the 2010 season, or upgraded to the AFL Draft National Combine, with AFL clubs continuing to search for possible draftees for the remainder of the year.

Names of players invited to the 2010 NAB AFL Draft National Combine will be released in the following positional groups beginning in August.

Medium forwards: week beginning August 1
Medium midfielders: week beginning August 8
Small forwards: week beginning August 15
Medium defenders: week beginning August 22
Tall forwards: week beginning August 29
Tall defenders: week beginning September 5
Ruckmen: week beginning September 12

The 2010 NAB AFL National Combine will be covered exclusively on afl.com.au with a daily wrap, interviews with participants and recruiters and highlights of all the tests to be undertaken by the nation’s brightest young AFL prospects.

In 2011, eight NAB AFL Under-16 Combines will be held in all states and territories for 320 young players helping to identify and develop future stars for the AFL.

The NAB AFL Draft Combine is part of the of the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program, which supports grassroots players and football communities and helps young Australians fulfil their dream of playing in the AFL.

The NAB AFL Rising Stars Program provides recognition and a clearly identifiable direction for a player’s career, and comprises the following elements:

•      NAB AFL Rising Star
•      NAB AFL Draft
•      NAB AFL Draft Combine
•      NAB AFL Under 18 Championships
•      AIS-AFL Academy
•      NAB AFL Under 16 Championships