RECORDS tumbled at last week’s Coates Talent League boys preseason testing day, as athletes from the 12 Victorian regions were put through their paces in Thornbury. In the event hosted by Rookie Me, Jett McLaughlan notched the best preseason Yo-Yo Test score ever recorded.

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The Northern Knights top-ager’s effort of 22.4 matched Andrew Brayshaw‘s unbeaten run at the 2017 National Draft Combine. It was part of an overall cohort which averaged the highest Yo-Yo Test scores over the last four years (20.6), according to the AFL.

Greater Western Victoria bottom-ager Archie Taylor also put his name in the record books with the fastest 20-metre sprint time recorded in preseason – 2.796 seconds. He and McLaughlin were among 13 all-time top 10 results across the five categories.

Other outstanding efforts across the day included Daniel Snell’s running vertical jump. The Western Jets small rose to 102cm as the only athlete to chalk up triple-figures. His was the highest jump across all testing events nationwide this year. Snell is the son of 68-game former Geelong player, Jason.

A raft of top AFL Draft prospects were out in force, completing testing and media duties. Arguably the best performed all-round was Taj Hotton, who ran sixth-fastest in the agility test, and placed seventh in the 20-metre sprint and running vertical jump (left).

Hotton’s Sandringham Dragons teammate and AFL Academy member Luke Trainor also stood out with the fifth-best standing vertical leap. Meanwhile, pick one contender Finn O’Sullivan showed his wares with the fourth-highest running vertical jump (right).

The 2024 Coates Talent League season is scheduled to get underway on March 23, with six games making up the opening round. After 19 regular season rounds, Wildcard Round, and a three-week knockout finals series, the Grand Final will be played on September 21.

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PRESEASON TESTING TOP 5s

STANDING VERTICAL JUMP
1. Harley Hicks (GWV Rebels) – 83cm
2. Gabriel Stumpf (Northern Knights) – 79cm
eq. 3. James Allison (Northern Knights) – 77cm
eq. 3. Daniel Snell (Western Jets) – 77cm
eq. 3. Luke Trainor (Sandringham Dragons) – 77cm

RUNNING VERTICAL JUMP
1. Daniel Snell (Western Jets) – 102cm
2. Ben Rongdit (Geelong Falcons) – 98cm
eq. 3. Archie Taylor (GWV Rebels) – 96cm
eq. 3. Matt Whitlock (Murray Bushrangers) – 96cm
eq. 5. FOUR ATHLETES – 95cm

20-METRE SPRINT
1. Archie Taylor (GWV Rebels) – 2.796 seconds
2. Julian Callahan (Gippsland Power) – 2.863 seconds
3. Kade Dwyer (Murray Bushrangers) – 2.872 seconds
4. Jack Geradi (Western Jets) – 2.874 seconds
5. Thomas Legudi (Calder Cannons) – 2.878 seconds

AGILITY TEST
1. Doug Kerr (Oakleigh Chargers) – 7.724 seconds
2. Oskar Taylor (Eastern Ranges) – 7.764 seconds
3. Lachy Dovaston (Eastern Ranges) – 7.777 seconds
4. Sebastian Murphy (Northern Knights) – 7.787 seconds
5. Ollie Hannaford (GWV Rebels) – 7.788 seconds

YO-YO TEST:
1. Jett McLaughlan (Northern Knights) – 22.4
2. Archie Caldow (GWV Rebels) – 22.2
eq. 3. Josh Dolan (Sandringham Dragons) – 22.1
eq. 3. Jeremy Newsome (Eastern Ranges) – 22.1
eq. 5. SIX ATHLETES – 21.8