WITH just a few weeks until the 2018 AFL National Draft, hopefuls across the country are waiting in anticipation to have their names called out on November 22-23. After a long, but hopefully rewarding season, players were invited to either National, State or Rookie Me combines depending on the level of interest from clubs. Players are always keen to compare themselves against the best, and with athletes testing in multiple locations across a few weeks, we have compiled the combined top 10 from all the combines to show those who have performed exceptionally in the respective tests.
Among those to test well across multiple athletic disciplines were mature-ager, Williamstown’s Ben Cavarra was the clear standout at the Rookie Me Combine, and his numbers stack up against the countries’ best, with a third placed finish in the 20m sprint, agility test and standing vertical jump, equal sixth in the running vertical jump (right) and equal eighth in the Yo-yo test. Norwood’s Isaac Saywell, was impressive at the South Australian State Combine, and matched it with the top athletes across the country, finishing second in the vertical jump, and first and equal third in the running vertical jumps, as well as equal eighth in the Yo-yo test. The other player who recorded more than two top 10 placings in the overall scheme of things was Peel Thunder’s Jason Carter, who finished second in the 20m sprint, fourth in the standing vertical jump and ninth in the standing vertical jump (left).
Athletes with two or more placings in the top 10 were West Australians, Wil Hickmott and Jarvis Pina, South Australians Izak Rankine, Kai Pudney, Kade Chandler and Boyd Woodcock, Vic Metro’s Xavier O’Halloran and Alastair Richards, Queensland’s Ryan Gilmore and Darcy Marsh, and Tasmanian, Chayce Jones.
20m sprint
1 Wil Hickmott (Subiaco/WA) 2.86 seconds
2 Jason Carter (Peel Thunder/WA) 2.87
3 Ben Cavarra (Williamstown/VFL) 2.89
4 Tom McKenzie (Northern/VM) 2.90
5 Connor Rozee (North Adelaide/SA) 2.91
5 Will Hamill (Dandenong/VC) 2.91
5 Dylan Curley (East Fremantle/WA) 2.91
8 Izak Rankine (West Adelaide/SA) 2.93
8 Jarvis Pina (Peel Thunder/WA) 2.93
8 Guy Richardson (GWS Academy/NSW-ACT) 2.93
Agility
1 Cody Hirst (Eastern/VM) 7.732 seconds
2 Kai Pudney (WWT/SA) 7.901
3 Ben Cavarra (Williamstown/VFL) 8.016
4 Izak Rankine (West Adelaide/SA) 8.039
5 Matthew Green (NT Thunder/NT) 8.058
6 Xavier O’Halloran (Western/VM) 8.063
7 Boyd Woodcock (North Adelaide/SA) 8.090
8 Lachlan Gadomski (Kingborough/Tasmania) 8.104
9 Wil Hickmott (Subiaco/WA) 8.13
10 Jarvis Pina (Peel Thunder/WA) 8.15
Yo-yo test
1 Brett Bewley (Williamstown/VM) 22.4
2 Brayden Ham (Geelong/VC) 22.2
2 Ned McHenry (Geelong/VC) 22.2
4 Sam Walsh (Geelong/VC) 22.1
4 Luke English (Perth/WA) 22.1
4 Kai Pudney (WWT/SA) 22.1
7 Will Golds (Oakleigh/VM) 21.8
8 Xavier O’Halloran (Western/VM) 21.6
8 Oscar Brownless (Geelong/VC) 21.6
8 Isaac Saywell (Norwood/SA) 21.6
8 Ben Cavarra (Williamstown/VFL) 21.6
Standing Vertical Jump:
1 Ryan Gilmore (GCS Academy/QLD) 83cm
2 Isaac Saywell (Norwood/SA) 80cm
3 Ben Cavarra (Williamstown/VM) 79cm
4 Ely Smith (Murray/VC) 77cm
4 Jason Carter (Peel Thunder/WA) 77cm
6 Alastair Richards (Sandringham/VM) 75cm
6 Tobe Watson (Swan Districts/WA) 75cm
8 Jordon Butts (Murray/VC) 74cm
8 Kody Eaton (East Fremantle/WA) 74cm
10 Kade Chandler (Norwood/SA) 73cm
10 Boyd Woodcock (North Adelaide/SA) 73cm
Running Vertical Jump (R):
1 Isaac Saywell (Norwood/SA) 94cm
2 Kade Chandler (Norwood/SA) 93cm
3 Sam Sturt (Dandenong/VC) 91cm
4 Darcy Marsh (Brisbane Academy/QLD) 90cm
5 Chayce Jones (Launceston/TAS) 85cm
6 Jack Ross (Oakleigh Chargers/VM) 84cm
6 Declan Carmody (Glenelg/SA) 84cm
6 Tom Medhat (West Perth/WA) 84cm
6 Ben Cavarra (Williamstown/VFL) 84cm
Running Vertical Jump (L):
1 Mihail Lochowiak (Sturt/SA) 96cm
2 Bailey Williams (Dandenong/VC) 94cm
3 Isaac Saywell (Norwood/SA) 93cm
3 Darcy Marsh (Brisbane Academy/QLD) 93cm
5 Alastair Richards (Sandringham/VM) 92cm
5 Ryan Gilmore (GCS Academy/QLD) 92cm
7 Chayce Jones (Launceston/TAS) 91cm
7 Jake Tarca (South Adelaide/SA) 91cm
9 Josh Kemp (Calder/VM) 90cm
9 Jason Carter (Peel Thunder/WA) 90cm
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