{"id":223305,"date":"2026-10-05T11:32:39","date_gmt":"2026-10-05T01:32:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/?p=223305"},"modified":"2026-10-05T11:32:41","modified_gmt":"2026-10-05T01:32:41","slug":"top-10s-2026-national-afl-draft-combine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/central.rookieme.com\/afl\/2026\/10\/05\/top-10s-2026-national-afl-draft-combine\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10s: 2026 National AFL Draft Combine"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

NORTHERN Knights key forward Sam Gayfer<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

>> SCROLL to see the full top 10s<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gayfer is the nephew of premiership Magpie Michael<\/em><\/strong>, and has risen into first round calculations this year. He pipped long jump specialist Mason McGroder<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Namely, that duo was Andrio Sousa<\/a> and Darcy Szerszyn<\/a>. 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Recently crowned Morrish Medallist Harvie Cooke<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Western Jets midfielder Lachlan Hicks<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another Dandenong product to impress was captain Gus Kennedy<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of the other notable results, Sandringham Dragons accumulator Albert MacGowan<\/a> 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<\/a> ran in third at 6:04, followed by Lions Academy star Caylen Murray<\/a> (6:06).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

TOP 10s<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

2KM TIME TRIAL<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Name<\/strong><\/td>State<\/strong><\/td>Clubs<\/strong><\/td>Time (min:sec)<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Albert Macgowan<\/td>VIC M<\/td>Sandringham Dragons\/Brighton Beach<\/td>5:59<\/td><\/tr>
Lachlan Hicks<\/td>VIC M<\/td>Western Jets\/Altona<\/td>6:01<\/td><\/tr>
Cody Walker<\/td>VIC C<\/td>Bendigo Pioneers\/Echuca<\/td>6:04<\/td><\/tr>
Caylen Murray<\/td>QLD<\/td>Brisbane Lions Academy\/Maroochydore<\/td>6:06<\/td><\/tr>
Harvie Cooke<\/td>VIC M<\/td>Northern Knights\/Eltham<\/td>6:08<\/td><\/tr>
Leo Steed<\/td>WA<\/td>Swan Districts\/Dalyellup Dockers<\/td>6:09<\/td><\/tr>
Toby Krasna<\/td>VIC M<\/td>Northern Knights\/Preston Bullants<\/td>6:11<\/td><\/tr>
Archie Van Dyk<\/td>SA<\/td>South Adelaide\/Port Noarlunga<\/td>6:12<\/td><\/tr>
George Gale<\/td>WA<\/td>Claremont\/Swanbourne<\/td>6:12<\/td><\/tr>
Sam Tassone<\/td>SA<\/td>North Adelaide\/Irymple<\/td>6:13<\/td><\/tr>
Jake Eime<\/td>SA<\/td>Central District\/Golden Grove<\/td>6:13<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

20M SPRINT<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Name<\/strong><\/td>State<\/strong><\/td>Clubs<\/strong><\/td>Time (sec)<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Mason McGroder<\/td>NSW<\/td>Sydney Swans Academy\/Maroubra <\/td>2.827<\/td><\/tr>
Cameron Maynard<\/td>WA<\/td>South Fremantle\/Fremantle City<\/td>2.898<\/td><\/tr>
Wil Malady<\/td>VIC C<\/td>Gippsland Power\/Bairnsdale<\/td>2.900<\/td><\/tr>
Andrio Sousa<\/td>VIC C<\/td>Dandenong Stingrays\/Edithvale Aspendale<\/td>2.902<\/td><\/tr>
Ethan Drever<\/td>VIC C<\/td>GWV Rebels\/Ballarat<\/td>2.905<\/td><\/tr>
Darcy Szerszyn<\/td>VIC C<\/td>Dandenong Stingrays\/Seaford<\/td>2.914<\/td><\/tr>
Sam Devers<\/td>VIC M<\/td>Eastern Ranges\/Blackburn<\/td>2.925<\/td><\/tr>
Anthony Long<\/td>SA<\/td>West Adelaide\/Jervois<\/td>2.940<\/td><\/tr>
Lachlan Hicks<\/td>VIC M<\/td>Western Jets\/Altona<\/td>2.948<\/td><\/tr>
Gus Kennedy<\/td>VIC C<\/td>Dandenong Stingrays\/Carrum Patterson Lakes<\/td>2.965<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

AFL AGILITY TEST<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Name<\/strong><\/td>State<\/strong><\/td>Clubs<\/strong><\/td>Time (sec)<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Lachlan Hicks<\/td>VIC M<\/td>Western Jets\/Altona<\/td>7.800<\/td><\/tr>
Wil Malady<\/td>VIC C<\/td>Gippsland Power\/Bairnsdale<\/td>7.833<\/td><\/tr>
George Dimer<\/td>VIC M<\/td>Sandringham Dragons\/East Brighton<\/td>7.893<\/td><\/tr>
Archie Spencer<\/td>VIC M<\/td>Eastern Ranges\/Woori Yallock<\/td>7.905<\/td><\/tr>
Harvie Cooke<\/td>VIC M<\/td>Northern Knights\/Eltham<\/td>7.962<\/td><\/tr>
Tyson Bradley<\/td>VIC M<\/td>Sandringham Dragons\/Highett<\/td>7.994<\/td><\/tr>
Jordan Knapp<\/td>VIC M<\/td>Eastern Ranges\/North Ringwood<\/td>7.999<\/td><\/tr>
Leo Steed<\/td>WA<\/td>Swan Districts\/Dalyellup Dockers<\/td>8.068<\/td><\/tr>
Andrio Sousa<\/td>VIC C<\/td>Dandenong Stingrays\/Edithvale Aspendale<\/td>8.095<\/td><\/tr>
Darcy Szerszyn<\/td>VIC C<\/td>Dandenong Stingrays\/Seaford<\/td>8.103<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

STANDING VERTICAL JUMP<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Name<\/strong><\/td>State<\/strong><\/td>Clubs<\/strong><\/td>Height (cm)<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Sam Gayfer<\/td>VIC M<\/td>Northern Knights\/Banyule<\/td>88<\/td><\/tr>
Sam Devers<\/td>VIC M<\/td>Eastern Ranges\/Blackburn<\/td>85<\/td><\/tr>
Mason McGroder<\/td>NSW<\/td>Sydney Swans Academy\/Maroubra<\/td>85<\/td><\/tr>
Gus Kennedy<\/td>VIC C<\/td>Dandenong Stingrays\/Carrum Patterson Lakes<\/td>82<\/td><\/tr>
Andrio Sousa<\/td>VIC C<\/td>Dandenong Stingrays\/Edithvale Aspendale<\/td>80<\/td><\/tr>
Darcy Szerszyn<\/td>VIC C<\/td>Dandenong Stingrays\/Seaford<\/td>78<\/td><\/tr>
Ethan Drever<\/td>VIC C<\/td>GWV Rebels\/Ballarat<\/td>77<\/td><\/tr>
Lewis Houndsome<\/td>VIC M<\/td>Northern Knights\/Hurstbridge<\/td>76<\/td><\/tr>
Tyson Bradley<\/td>VIC M<\/td>Sandringham Dragons\/Highett<\/td>75<\/td><\/tr>
George Dimer<\/td>VIC M<\/td>Sandringham Dragons\/East Brighton<\/td>75<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

RUNNING VERTICAL JUMP<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Name<\/strong><\/td>State<\/strong><\/td>Clubs<\/strong><\/td>Height (cm)<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Sam Gayfer<\/td>VIC M<\/td>Northern Knights\/Banyule<\/td>114<\/td><\/tr>
Mason McGroder<\/td>NSW<\/td>Sydney Swans Academy\/Maroubra<\/td>107<\/td><\/tr>
Sam Devers<\/td>VIC M<\/td>Eastern Ranges\/Blackburn<\/td>97<\/td><\/tr>
Gus Kennedy<\/td>VIC C<\/td>Dandenong Stingrays\/Carrum Patterson Lakes<\/td>97<\/td><\/tr>
Ethan Drever<\/td>VIC C<\/td>GWV Rebels\/Ballarat<\/td>96<\/td><\/tr>
Harry Van Hattum<\/td>VIC M<\/td>Northern Knights\/St Mary\u2019s<\/td>95<\/td><\/tr>
Xavier Ladbrook<\/td>VIC C<\/td>Gippsland Power\/Nar Nar Goon<\/td>92<\/td><\/tr>
Ethan Herbert<\/td>SA<\/td>North Adelaide\/Walkerville<\/td>91<\/td><\/tr>
Tyson Bradley<\/td>VIC M<\/td>Sandringham Dragons\/Highett<\/td>90<\/td><\/tr>
Harvie Cooke<\/td>VIC M<\/td>Northern Knights\/Eltham<\/td>89<\/td><\/tr>
Andrio Sousa<\/td>VIC C<\/td>Dandenong Stingrays\/Edithvale Aspendale<\/td>89<\/td><\/tr>
Darcy Szerszyn<\/td>VIC C<\/td>Dandenong Stingrays\/Seaford<\/td>89<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mentions<\/span><\/span><\/div>