Top 10s: 2026 National AFL Draft Combine

NORTHERN Knights key forward Sam Gayfer made history at the National AFL Draft Combine on Saturday, smashing the running vertical jump record by 7cm. His new high of 114cm was complimented by another first place finish in the standing vertical jump, reaching 88cm in the event at Parkville.

>> SCROLL to see the full top 10s

Gayfer is the nephew of premiership Magpie Michael, and has risen into first round calculations this year. He pipped long jump specialist Mason McGroder in both leaps, with the latter leaning towards a career in football over his Olympic aspirations. The 194cm phenom is part of the Swans Academy.

On top of second-place finishes in both jumping events, McGroder also clocked the fastest 20-metre sprint time of 2.827 seconds. He was one of 13 athletes to post top-10 results in multiple tests, with seven doing so thrice, while a Dandenong Stingrays pair featured highly in four events.

Namely, that duo was Andrio Sousa and Darcy Szerszyn. Sousa’s best event was the sprint, where he finished fourth with a time of 2.902 seconds. Szerszyn’s top scores came in the sprint (2.914 seconds) and standing vertical jump (77cm), placing a respectable sixth in both events.

Among those to achieve three top-10 results was pick one contender Ethan Drever. He ran fifth in the 20-metre sprint at 2.905 seconds while placing well in both jumps. Vic Metro MVP Tyson Bradley also notched strong jump scores while running the agility test at a very nimble 7.994 seconds.

Recently crowned Morrish Medallist Harvie Cooke continues to cement himself in top-25 conversations having shown out with fifth-place finishes in the 2km time trial (6:08) and agility test (7.962 seconds). He also came in 10th with a running vertical jump of 89cm, beating out a bunch of talls.

Western Jets midfielder Lachlan Hicks also put his speed-endurance mix in the spotlight. He stopped the clock fastest in the agility test (7.8 seconds) while running second in the time trial (6:01) and slotting into ninth in the sprint (2.948 seconds). That’s some serious running power.

Another Dandenong product to impress was captain Gus Kennedy, who was prominent with a pair of fourth-place jumps and the 10th-best sprint time. He battled through illness to show his wares at the combine, where both his explosive athleticism and dogged determination came to the fore.

Of the other notable results, Sandringham Dragons accumulator Albert MacGowan was the only player to run 2km in under six minutes, stopping the clock at 5:59 to set himself apart. Carlton father-son gun Cody Walker ran in third at 6:04, followed by Lions Academy star Caylen Murray (6:06).

TOP 10s

2KM TIME TRIAL

NameStateClubsTime (min:sec)
Albert MacgowanVIC MSandringham Dragons/Brighton Beach5:59
Lachlan HicksVIC MWestern Jets/Altona6:01
Cody WalkerVIC CBendigo Pioneers/Echuca6:04
Caylen MurrayQLDBrisbane Lions Academy/Maroochydore6:06
Harvie CookeVIC MNorthern Knights/Eltham6:08
Leo SteedWASwan Districts/Dalyellup Dockers6:09
Toby KrasnaVIC MNorthern Knights/Preston Bullants6:11
Archie Van DykSASouth Adelaide/Port Noarlunga6:12
George GaleWAClaremont/Swanbourne6:12
Sam TassoneSANorth Adelaide/Irymple6:13
Jake EimeSACentral District/Golden Grove6:13

20M SPRINT

NameStateClubsTime (sec)
Mason McGroderNSWSydney Swans Academy/Maroubra 2.827
Cameron MaynardWASouth Fremantle/Fremantle City2.898
Wil MaladyVIC CGippsland Power/Bairnsdale2.900
Andrio SousaVIC CDandenong Stingrays/Edithvale Aspendale2.902
Ethan DreverVIC CGWV Rebels/Ballarat2.905
Darcy SzerszynVIC CDandenong Stingrays/Seaford2.914
Sam DeversVIC MEastern Ranges/Blackburn2.925
Anthony LongSAWest Adelaide/Jervois2.940
Lachlan HicksVIC MWestern Jets/Altona2.948
Gus KennedyVIC CDandenong Stingrays/Carrum Patterson Lakes2.965

AFL AGILITY TEST

NameStateClubsTime (sec)
Lachlan HicksVIC MWestern Jets/Altona7.800
Wil MaladyVIC CGippsland Power/Bairnsdale7.833
George DimerVIC MSandringham Dragons/East Brighton7.893
Archie SpencerVIC MEastern Ranges/Woori Yallock7.905
Harvie CookeVIC MNorthern Knights/Eltham7.962
Tyson BradleyVIC MSandringham Dragons/Highett7.994
Jordan KnappVIC MEastern Ranges/North Ringwood7.999
Leo SteedWASwan Districts/Dalyellup Dockers8.068
Andrio SousaVIC CDandenong Stingrays/Edithvale Aspendale8.095
Darcy SzerszynVIC CDandenong Stingrays/Seaford8.103

STANDING VERTICAL JUMP

NameStateClubsHeight (cm)
Sam GayferVIC MNorthern Knights/Banyule88
Sam DeversVIC MEastern Ranges/Blackburn85
Mason McGroderNSWSydney Swans Academy/Maroubra85
Gus KennedyVIC CDandenong Stingrays/Carrum Patterson Lakes82
Andrio SousaVIC CDandenong Stingrays/Edithvale Aspendale80
Darcy SzerszynVIC CDandenong Stingrays/Seaford78
Ethan DreverVIC CGWV Rebels/Ballarat77
Lewis HoundsomeVIC MNorthern Knights/Hurstbridge76
Tyson BradleyVIC MSandringham Dragons/Highett75
George DimerVIC MSandringham Dragons/East Brighton75

RUNNING VERTICAL JUMP

NameStateClubsHeight (cm)
Sam GayferVIC MNorthern Knights/Banyule114
Mason McGroderNSWSydney Swans Academy/Maroubra107
Sam DeversVIC MEastern Ranges/Blackburn97
Gus KennedyVIC CDandenong Stingrays/Carrum Patterson Lakes97
Ethan DreverVIC CGWV Rebels/Ballarat96
Harry Van HattumVIC MNorthern Knights/St Mary’s95
Xavier LadbrookVIC CGippsland Power/Nar Nar Goon92
Ethan HerbertSANorth Adelaide/Walkerville91
Tyson BradleyVIC MSandringham Dragons/Highett90
Harvie CookeVIC MNorthern Knights/Eltham89
Andrio SousaVIC CDandenong Stingrays/Edithvale Aspendale89
Darcy SzerszynVIC CDandenong Stingrays/Seaford89

0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments