SOUTH Australia’s top AFL Draft prospect tested their athletic capabilities at the 2021 state-based National Draft Combine on Saturday. Of the 29 players at the event, 21 tested, with top talents Arlo Draper and Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera joining the likes of Hugh Jackson and Lewis Rayson on the sidelines. The athletes competed over six different tests, with North Adelaide’s Harvey Harrison and Norwood’s Alastair Lord breaking up the Central District dominance of Leek Alleer, and 2km time trial duo Shay Linke and Luca Whitelum.

Alleer has proven an AFL Draft bolter this year, and it was unsurprising to see the intercept defender showcasing his trademark vertical leap that has been on show for the Bulldogs all year. Though expected to win the vertical jump events, he not only won them, but blitzed them, and grabbed an all-time combine record for his troubles. Clearing his next closest opponent by five centimetres in the standing vertical jump, Alleer recorded a massive 90cm on his right, running vertical jump, before smashing the all-time record by four centimetres on his left, with an unheard of 107cm.

Fellow Centrals talent Linke took out the 2km time trial in six minutes and 22 seconds, four seconds clear of teammate, Whitelum. Coming in fourth was North Adelaide’s Harrison who was the quickest off the mark in the 20m sprint, recording a sizzling time of 2.845 seconds to hold off Glenelg’s Hugh Stagg and Eagles’ big man Jordan Lukac as the other players to clock under three seconds. Whitelum also finished top five in the test. Meanwhile Norwood’s Lord won the agility test, being the only person under eight seconds (7.94 seconds), also finishing fifth in the 2km time trial (6:48).

Others who performed strongly include West Adelaide’s Ronald Fejo Jnr, Norwood’s Cooper Murley, Sturt’s Morgan Ferres and Eagles’ Jase Burgoyne who recorded a top five place in one of the running events, as well as at least one of the jumping tests. Top pick Jason Horne-Francis performed the strongest in the vertical jumps, finishing top five off his left, and from a standing start.

TOP FIVES:

20m Sprint:

1 Harvey Harrison (North) 2.845 seconds
2 Hugh Stagg (Glenelg) 2.910 seconds
3 Jordan Lukac (WWT) 2.980 seconds
4 Luca Whitelum (Central) 3.007 seconds
5 Morgan Ferres (Sturt) 3.015 seconds

Agility:

1 Alastair Lord (Norwood) 7.94 seconds
2 Cooper Beecken (Glenelg) 8.07 seconds
3 Ronald Fejo Jnr (West) 8.08 seconds
4 Cooper Murley (Norwood) 8.20 seconds
5 Hugh Stagg (Glenelg) 8.24 seconds

2km Time Trial:

1 Shay Linke (Central) 6:22 minutes
2 Luca Whitelum (Central) 6:26 minutes
3 Luke Beecken (WWT) 6:34 minutes
4 Harvey Harrison (North) 6:37 minutes
5 Alastair Lord (Norwood) 6:48 minutes

Running Vertical Jump (Left)

1 Leek Alleer (Central) 107cm – RECORD
2 Morgan Ferres (Sturt) 85cm
2 Jase Burgoyne (WWT) 85cm
4 Cooper Murley (Norwood) 82cm
4 Jason Horne-Francis (South) 82cm

Running Vertical Jump (Right)

1 Leek Alleer (Central) 90cm
2 Cooper Murley (Norwood) 77cm
2 Zac Becker (Sturt) 77cm
4 Blayne O’Loughlin (North) 75cm
5 Andy Moniz Wakefield (NT) 73cm

Standing Vertical Jump:

1 Leek Alleer (Central) 75cm
2 Ronald Fejo Jnr (West) 70cm
2 Harvey Harrison (North) 70cm
4 Jason Horne-Francis (South) 66cm
4 Jordan Lukac (WWT) 66cm

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Picture credit: Mark Brake/AFL Photos