West Australian bolter blitzes draft combine
WEST Australian Zane Zakostelsky has dominated the 2023 AFL National Draft Combine, achieving top 10 results in four of the five events. A group of 61 prospects, all nominated by clubs, were put through their paces from Friday to Sunday in a range of physical tests.
>> SCROLL to see all the top 10 results
Zakostelsky is a raw 196cm defender/ruck renowned for his athleticism, and topped the charts in this year’s standing vertical jump with a leap of 80cm. He placed sixth in the 20m sprint (2.954 seconds), fifth in the agility test (8.233 seconds), and sixth again in the running vertical leap (94cm).
The Claremont product was one of three West Australians to come out on top of a testing event. West Coast Next Generation Academy candidate Lance Collard lit up the agility test with a time of 8.157 seconds, while Aiden O’Driscoll won the 20m sprint (2.871 seconds).
O’Driscoll is the brother of current Fremantle-listed players Emma and Nathan. Elsewhere, Tarkyn O’Leary took out Friday’s 2km time trial with the second-fastest ever time. He completed the journey in 5:48, only bested by Harry Sharp‘s effort of 5:28 in 2020.
Murray Bushrangers midfielder Darcy Wilson placed second over 2km (5:52), joined by 202cm Gold Coast ruck Ethan Read on a podium of sub-six minute runners. Wilson also notched the best running vertical jump at an eye-watering 98cm.
Along with the boy’s National Combine testing at Margret Court Arena on Sunday, state combine nominees from Victoria, Tasmania, NSW-ACT, and Queensland also completed their testing, along with AFLW Draft Combine participants from Victoria and Tasmania.
Top results from the state combines and girl’s events will become available once events in South Australia and Western Australia are completed over the weekend.
NATIONAL DRAFT COMBINE TOP 10s
2km TIME TRIAL
| Name | State | State League Club | Community Club | Result (min:sec) |
| Tarkyn O’Leary | VIC M | Sandringham Dragons | Parkdale Vultures | 5:48 |
| Darcy Wilson | VIC C | Murray Bushrangers | Wangaratta Rovers | 5:52 |
| Ethan Read | QLD | GC Suns Academy | Palm Beach Currumbin | 5:56 |
| Jordan Croft | VIC M | Calder Cannons | Maribyrnong Park | 6:05 |
| Caiden Cleary | NSW/ACT | Sydney Swans Academy | Sydney University | 6:06 |
| Aiden O’Driscoll | WA | Perth | Northam Saints | 6:06 |
| Archie Roberts | VIC M | Sandringham Dragons | Hampton Rovers | 6:08 |
| Connor O’Sullivan | NSW/ACT | Murray Bushrangers | Albury | 6:11 |
| Joel Freijah | VIC C | GWV Rebels | Horsham Saints | 6:13 |
| Harvey Johnston | VIC M | Sandringham Dragons | Parkdale Vultures | 6:17 |
| Koltyn Tholstrup | WA | Subiaco | Newtown Condingup | 6:17 |
20m SPRINT
| Name | State | State League Club | Community Club | Result (sec) |
| Aiden O’Driscoll | WA | Perth | Northam Saints | 2.871 |
| Will Graham | QLD | GC Suns Academy | Palm Beach Currumbin | 2.915 |
| Caleb Windsor | VIC M | Eastern Ranges | South Belgrave | 2.916 |
| Lance Collard | WA | Subiaco | North Beach | 2.923 |
| Kane McAuliffe | SA | North Adelaide | Central Augusta | 2.930 |
| Zane Zakostelsky | WA | Claremont | North Beach | 2.954 |
| Phoenix Gothard | NSW/ACT | Murray Bushrangers | Albury | 2.963 |
| Taylor Goad | SA | South Adelaide | Willunga | 2.965 |
| Eion McElholm | Ireland | N/A | N/A | 2.993 |
| Harry DeMattia | VIC C | Dandenong Stingrays | Edithvale-Aspendale | 2.996 |
AGILITY TEST
| Name | State | State League Club | Community Club | Result (sec) |
| Lance Collard | WA | Subiaco | North Beach | 8.157 |
| Koltyn Tholstrup | WA | Subiaco | Newtown Condingup | 8.194 |
| Angus Hastie | VIC C | Geelong Falcons | Geelong West Giants | 8.204 |
| Bodie Ryan | SA | Glenelg | Brighton | 8.208 |
| Zane Zakostelsky | WA | Claremont | North Beach | 8.233 |
| Ashton Moir | SA | Glenelg | Plympton | 8.244 |
| Reece Torrent | WA | Peel Thunder | Halls Head | 8.260 |
| Darcy Wilson | VIC C | Murray Bushrangers | Wangaratta Rovers | 8.263 |
| Aiden O’Driscoll | WA | Perth | Northam Saints | 8.302 |
| Nate Caddy | VIC M | Northern Knights | Yarrambat | 8.331 |
STANDING VERTICAL JUMP
| Name | State | State League Club | Community Club | Result (cm) |
| Zane Zakostelsky | WA | Claremont | North Beach | 80 |
| Phoenix Gothard | NSW/ACT | Murray Bushrangers | Albury | 78 |
| Will Graham | QLD | GC Suns Academy | Palm Beach Currumbin | 78 |
| Mitchell Edwards | WA | Peel Thunder | South Mandurah | 78 |
| Kane McAuliffe | SA | North Adelaide | Central Augusta | 77 |
| Darcy Wilson | VIC C | Murray Bushrangers | Wangaratta Rovers | 76 |
| Riley Hardeman | WA | Swan Districts | Caversham | 75 |
| Jack Delean | SA | South Adelaide | Reynella | 74 |
| Taylor Goad | SA | South Adelaide | Willunga | 74 |
| Aiden O’Driscoll | WA | Perth | Northam Saints | 73 |
| Caleb Windsor | VIC M | Eastern Ranges | South Belgrave | 73 |
RUNNING VERTICAL JUMP
| Name | State | State League Club | Community Club | Result (cm) |
| Darcy Wilson | VIC C | Murray Bushrangers | Wangaratta Rovers | 98 |
| Zane Duursma | VIC C | Gippsland Power | Foster | 97 |
| Will Graham | QLD | GC Suns Academy | Palm Beach Currumbin | 95 |
| Kane McAuliffe | SA | North Adelaide | Central Augusta | 95 |
| Mitchell Edwards | WA | Peel Thunder | South Mandurah | 94 |
| Zane Zakostelsky | WA | Claremont | North Beach | 94 |
| Aiden O’Driscoll | WA | Perth | Northam Saints | 92 |
| Caleb Windsor | VIC M | Eastern Ranges | South Belgrave | 92 |
| Riley Hardeman | WA | Swan Districts | Caversham | 91 |
| Cooper Simpson | VIC C | Dandenong Stingrays | Mt Martha | 90 |
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