Seven locals have received invites to the AFL Draft Combine to be held in Melbourne from Friday 4 October until Sunday 6 October.
Gippsland duo Xavier Lindsay and Alixzander Tauru and Dandenong’s Cooper Hynes, Harvey Langford and Noah Mraz were invited to the National Combine, alongside Jasper Alger, who represents Oakleigh as he boards at Caulfield Grammar, but is a Warragul local.
Ricky Mentha and Asher Eastham were both invited to the State Combine.
Lindsay, Langford and Hynes have all had exceptional seasons in the Talent Pathway system, while Tauru’s stocks are rising quickly given his intercepting and courage.
Alger is a small forward with an excellent leap who had a productive national championships for Vic Country, while Mraz missed the AFL Academy games and under-18s carnival through injury but is viewed as one of the best key-position players.
Mentha is a member of the AFL Academy and has appealing x-factor, while Eastham is an excellent marking forward who wasn’t part of the Vic Country lineup but has been consistent for the Power.
Club interviews will be held at the MCG across Friday and Saturday before players take part in physical testing at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC) on Sunday.
Testing will again include the vertical jump, running vertical jump, 20-metre sprint, agility test and 2km time trial.
Selection to attend the 2024 Telstra AFL Draft Combine was based on nominations provided by AFL clubs, with a total of 65 players selected.
