
The AFL Draft Combine, formerly known as the AFL Draft Camp, is a gathering of prospective talent, where selected potential draftees display their athletic prowess and relevant
Australian rules football skills. Over four days participants are required to undergo a series of medical, psychomotor, athletic and fitness tests as well as interviews conducted by the 18 clubs in the
Australian Football League. The first AFL Draft Camp was held in 1994 at
Waverley Park
Waverley Park (also and originally called VFL Park) was an Australian rules football stadium in Mulgrave, Victoria, Australia. For most of its history, its purpose was as a neutral venue and used by all Victorian-based Victorian Football Le ...
; in 1999 it moved to
Canberra, where it was hosted by the
Australian Institute of Sport
The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) is a high performance sports training institution in Australia. The Institute's headquarters were opened in 1981 and are situated in the northern suburb of Bruce, Canberra. The AIS is a division of th ...
, and in 2011 it was moved to
Docklands Stadium
Docklands Stadium, also currently known by naming rights sponsorship as Marvel Stadium, is a multi-purpose sports and entertainment stadium in the Docklands area of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Construction started in October 1997 and was ...
. Each year the Draft Combine is held in the week following the
AFL Grand Final
The AFL Grand Final is an Australian rules football match to determine the premiers for the Australian Football League (AFL) season. From its inception until 1989, it was known as the VFL Grand Final, as the league at that time was the Victo ...
.
Purpose
The testing results measured at the combine are used to inform recruiters of players' athletic attributes and skills heading into the
AFL Draft
The Australian Football League draft is the annual draft of unsigned players, especially new nominations, by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League (AFL).
History
...
, which is held in November. Recruiters also have the opportunity to interview participants whom they may potentially want to draft. Clubs are able to send a representative to the combine, where they are able to conduct a medical screening on participants. This screening gives clubs an idea of a player's past injuries and future injury concerns.
Invitations
To be eligible for the AFL Draft Combine, a player must receive at least 5 nominations from AFL clubs. Leading into the combine, AFL recruiting managers are expected to submit a list of 70 players from the draft pool whom they would like to screen at the national combine. Approximately 100 invitees attend the draft combine. Draft hopefuls who don't receive enough nominations for the national combine but still receive 3 or 4 nominations have the opportunity to attend their respective state screening.
Players who are overlooked for the national combine may be invited to attend a state-based combine, where similar testing is done.
Tests
The following tests performed at the combine are associated with the attributes required to perform in the
AFL.
Beep test (shuttle run)
Players are to finish a 20-metre leg before the sound of the beep; they continue to run back and forth as the time in between each beep gets shorter. The test starts at level 1 and finishes at level 21. When a person fails to make the line before the beep, they no longer are allowed to continue.
This test was replaced with the yo-yo test in 2017.
3km time trial
In groups of 10–20, players are to complete a 3000-metre run as fast as they can. The finishing time is then recorded. This was replaced by the 2km time trial in 2017.
Repeat sprint test
This test is designed to measure both speed and endurance. Here players complete six 30-metre sprints, with the cumulative time recorded.
Agility test
The player starts standing upright; once they pass through the gates, the player is to navigate around a series of poles (without touching them or knocking them down) and reach the finishing gates as quickly as possible.
20-metre sprint
This is to measure a player's speed. The individual being tested begins in a crouched position. They are then to sprint as fast as they can up to 20 metres. Sensors are used to measure the time taken to the 5m, 10m and 20m mark. Each player is given 3 attempts at this, with the quickest time being recorded.
Running vertical jump
In this test an instrument called a vertec is used to measure a player jumping off one leg from a running start. The player being tested aims to hit the 'fingers' on the vertec as high up as possible.
Standing vertical jump
This is similar to the running vertical jump, however, the player instead takes off on two feet from a stationary start. The aim again is to hit the fingers as high up as possible on the vertec.
Nathan Buckley kicking test
This test was devised by
Nathan Buckley
Nathan Charles Buckley (born 26 July 1972) is a former professional Australian rules football coach, player and commentator.
He is listed by journalist Mike Sheahan as one of the top 50 players of all time. Buckley won the inaugural Rising ...
and is used to measure a player's kicking efficiency over six kicks. Six targets are set out at distances of 20, 30 and 40 metres. An official is designated to request a target at random and call the instructions out to the kicker. The kicker then proceeds hit the target. Each kick is given a score from one to five (five being the perfect kick).
Matthew Lloyd clean hands test
Matthew Lloyd
Matthew James Lloyd (born 16 April 1978) is a former professional Australian rules footballer, who played for the Essendon Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
A highly decorated full-forward, Lloyd's AFL's honours include b ...
designed this test to measure how well a player takes possession of a football and is able to dispose of it using a
handball. Three targets are set up on both the left and right sides at distances of 6, 8 and 10 metres. The test starts with an official either rolling or throwing a
football at the player; an instruction of what target to hit is then called out by the official. The player then attempts to handball the ball at the target. This is done six times and a score from one to five is allocated for each handball.
Brad Johnson goal-touching test
This test was constructed by
Brad Johnson and measures a player's accuracy kicking for goal. This test takes place on an oval with four markers placed at different angles and distances to kick from. Five kicks are taken in total: two set shots, two snaps (one left and one right) and one kick on the run. A score is then derived from the number of goals and behinds a player kicks.
Physical
Measurements of a player's height, weight, skinfolds, arm length and hand span are all recorded.
Testing records
The fastest agility test ever recorded at any AFL combine was 7.761 seconds by Tyrone Thorne at the 2019 Western Australia draft combine.
* The highest standing vertical jump ever recorded at any AFL combine was 91.4 cm by American prospect Justin Wesley at the 2014 US International Combine in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...
.
* Justin Wesley recorded a 2.81 at the 2014 US International Combine.
[ Reef McInnes recorded a 2.779 in 2020; however, as the sprint was held outside in a tailwind, this time is not included in records.
]
AFL International Combine
The AFL has increasingly looked to expand the game beyond Australia in recent years. It is estimated over 100,000 people participate in the sport outside Australia. The Australian Football International Cup
The Australian Football International Cup (also known as the AFL International Cup or simply the IC) is a triennial international Australian rules football sport competition. It is the biggest worldwide tournament in the sport and is open t ...
takes place every three years in Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a me ...
, where teams from 18 countries compete against each other. The growth of the game and the prospective talent overseas has led to the AFL establishing combines internationally.
US Combine
The US AFL Combine is currently held at IMG Academy in Florida. All 15 participants from the 2015 combine were from a college basketball background. Each year a minimum of two of the group will be chosen to partake in the AFL National Combine held in Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a me ...
. Eric Wallace, Mason Cox and Jason Holmes
Jason Holmes (born October 28, 1989) is an American-born former professional Australian rules footballer who played for the St Kilda Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He was the first born and raised American to ever play A ...
are all AFL listed players who are former US Combine graduates.
European Combine
The European Combine is held in Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...
and overseen by AFL International Talent Manager Tadhg Kennelly
Tadhg Kennelly (born 1 July 1981) is an Irish-Australian former international sportsperson turned recruiter and coach. He is most known for his top-level careers in both Gaelic football and Australian rules football being the only holder of bo ...
, a former player for the Sydney Swans who was originally drafted from Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
. Among those who try out, a large proportion are Gaelic footballers. The skill set of Gaelic football
Gaelic football ( ga, Peil Ghaelach; short name '), commonly known as simply Gaelic, GAA or Football is an Irish team sport. It is played between two teams of 15 players on a rectangular grass pitch. The objective of the sport is to score by ki ...
is considered similar to that of AFL. The two best-performing participants at the combine are then given the opportunity to attend the AFL National Combine. Sean Hurley, Paddy Brophy
Emo GAA is a Gaelic Athletic Association gaelic football club in Emo, County Laois, Ireland.
History
The club was founded in the 1950s and club colours are white with a red hoop.
Famous players past and present include Gabriel Lawlor, Mick Law ...
, Daniel Flynn, Ciarán Byrne
Ciarán Byrne (born 6 December 1994) is a Gaelic footballer who plays for the St Mochta's club at senior level for the Louth county team. He previously played professional Australian rules football for the Carlton Football Club.
His nickname ...
, Ciarán Sheehan and Cian Hanley are some notable people who have previously attended the combine.
References
{{Afldraft
Australian Football League draft
Australian Football League