Club-tied talent keen to impress at Draft Combine
JUST under 20 per cent of invitees to the 2024 AFL National and State Draft Combines are already tied to clubs, either via father-son eligibility or as Academy members – Northern and Next Generation (NGA). It means there may be a little extra emphasis on results for some eager to impress those in attendance.
>> SCROLL to see the full list of club-tied combine invitees
Potentially the top prospect in this year’s draft, Levi Ashcroft, is one of three father-son candidates who will attend the National Combine, along with a further five at the state events. The prolific midfielder recently made his nomination for Brisbane official, and is set to join brother Will at the Lions.
Arguably the next highest rated talent is Gold Coast Academy product Leonardo Lombard, who may yield a top 10 bid. The Suns’ program famously produced four first round picks last year, though Lombard is the only player of theirs to earn a combine invite in 2024, and is a standout among the crop.
Lombard is one of five Northern Academy members on the national list, among a group of seven overall. He and Brisbane-linked midfielder Samuel Marshall are the best of the bunch, while Giants Academy ruck Logan Smith is also around the mark as a potential second round prospect.
The selection of NGA hopefuls stands at a high of nine overall players in the three club-tied categories, with six set to participate across the three state combines in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. Three will attend the National Combine, with one a top 15 talent.
Namely, Essendon-tied small forward Isaac Kako is the main event. While a syndesmosis injury may rule him out, the Calder Cannons star would likely give the stopwatches a good run. Adrian Cole (St Kilda) and Malakai Champion (West Coast) have also had strong top-age campaigns.
With the likes of Ashcroft, Lombard, Marshall, and Kako all well poised to receive bids in the top 30 picks, Carlton will be hoping twin father-son candidates Ben and Lucas Camporeale slide out of that range. The former is considered a chance to feature there, while the latter is a late-draft option.
Coming into the year, Adelaide father-son gun Tyler Welsh garnered plenty of fanfare. The powerful forward has enjoyed a near-full season of SANFL League football in the Crows’ program and presents as a readymade talent with great physical traits. He’ll attend the SA state combine.
Cross-town rivals Port Adelaide have a few balls to juggle, too. Rome Burgoyne and Louie Montgomery are father-son eligible and have turned out for the club’s SANFL outfit, while Benny Barrett comes under the NGA banner. The livewire forward has gained senior experience in South Adelaide’s reserves.
Elwood Peckett (St Kilda) is another father-son prospect to consider, especially with his late-season form. The Saints have him, along with Cole and fellow NGA member Lennox Hofmann to fit into their calculations. Cole is the only National Combine invitee of trio.
While the combine lists are a great indicator of AFL interest, given club nominations determine who gets to participate, they are not the be-all and end-all. A raft of other club-tied players will be front of mind having represented their states or stepped up to state league level, so can still find their way to the top.
CLUB-TIED COMBINE INVITEES
NATIONAL DRAFT COMBINE (11/65)
Father-Son (3):
Levi Ashcroft (Brisbane)
Ben Camporeale (Carlton)
Lucas Camporeale (Carlton)
Next Generation Academy (3):
Adrian Cole (St Kilda)
Malakai Champion (West Coast)
Isaac Kako (Essendon)
Northern Academy (5):
Cooper Bell (GWS)
Joel Cochran (Sydney)
Leonardo Lombard (Gold Coast)
Sam Marshall (Brisbane)
Logan Smith (GWS)
>> FULL LIST: 2024 AFL National Draft Combine
STATE DRAFT COMBINE (13/62)
Father-Son (5):
Rome Burgoyne (Port Adelaide)
Louie Montgomery (Port Adelaide)
Elwood Peckett (St Kilda)
River Stevens (North Melbourne)
Tyler Welsh (Adelaide)
Next Generation Academy (6):
Riak Andrew (Melbourne)
Benny Barrett (Port Adelaide)
Lennox Hofmann (St Kilda)
Ricky Mentha (Melbourne)
Jayden Nguyen (Essendon)
Luke Quaynor (Collingwood)
Northern Academy (2):
Josaia Delana (GWS)
Tom Gillett (Brisbane)
>> FULL LIST: 2024 AFL State Draft Combine
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JUST under 20 per cent of invitees to the 2024 AFL National and State Draft Combines are already tied to clubs, either via father-son eligibility or as Academy members – Northern and Next Generation (NGA). It means there may be a little extra emphasis on results for some eager to impress those in attendance. >> […]
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