THE SANDRINGHAM Dragons will have seven players attend October's NAB AFL Draft Combine, with the possibility of four being top-25 draft selections.
Midfielders Josh Kelly, Christian Salem, Nathan Freeman and Zach Merrett all loom as early picks at November's NAB AFL Draft for the Dragons, while Karl Amon, Alex Spencer and Tom Langdon have also been invited to the combine. Crows Tom Lynch and Jarryd Lyons both hail from the Sandringham Dragons.
The Geelong Falcons – Patrick Dangerfield’s TAC Cup team – will be the other best-represented club at the week-long testing, with seven players invited to the combine.
Speedy midfielder Lewis Taylor is in contention to be a top-10 draft pick, and other Falcons Nick Bourke, Aaron Christensen, Fraser Fort, Darcy Gardiner, Darcy Lang and James Tsitas will be hoping to impress recruiters.
Fresh from its division two title at the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, Tasmania has had seven players invited to the national combine.
Kade Kolodjashnij and Toby Nankervis were All-Australian selections, and Jake Kolodjashnij, Brady Grey, Alex Pearce, Eli Templeton and Zac Webster all showed impressive signs throughout the carnival.
Dayle Garlett will get a shot at draft redemption after being invited back to the combine. Garlett's off-field issues saw clubs too concerned to pick him last year, but the talented West Australian has had a terrific season at WAFL level for Swan Districts. The combine offers players outside the under-18 system to be ranked and assessed by clubs.
Four VFL players will attend, with Port Melbourne's Chris Cain the oldest of this year's group. Cain recently turned 26 and has played 14 games for the club this year, kicking 22 goals.
Of the 98 players to be invited, 14 are indigenous. A further 85 players will be notified this week of their invitation to a state draft combine.
VIC COUNTRY
Isaiah Miller, Bendigo Pioneers
James Harmes, Dandenong Stingrays
Billy Hartung, Dandenong Stingrays
Zak Jones, Dandenong Stingrays
Nick Bourke, Geelong Falcons
Aaron Christensen, Geelong Falcons
Fraser Fort, Geelong Falcons
Darcy Gardiner, Geelong Falcons
Darcy Lang, Geelong Falcons
Lewis Taylor, Geelong Falcons
James Tsitas, Geelong Falcons
Jack Leslie, Gippsland Power
Nathan Drummond, Murray Bushrangers
Nick Holman, Murray Bushrangers
Jarman Impey, Murray Bushrangers
Sam Bennett, North Ballarat Rebels
Matt Crouch, North Ballarat Rebels
Louis Herbert, North Ballarat Rebels
Dallas Willsmore, North Ballarat Rebels
VIC METRO
Michael Apeness, Eastern Ranges
Tom Boyd, Eastern Ranges
Mitch Honeychurch, Eastern Ranges
Daniel McStay, Eastern Ranges
Marcus Bontempelli, Northern Knights
Cameron Conlon, Northern Knights
Ben Lennon, Northern Knights
Jack Billings, Oakleigh Chargers
Darcy Byrne-Jones, Oakleigh Chargers
Tom Cutler, Oakleigh Chargers
Aiden Franetic, Oakleigh Chargers
Jay Kennedy-Harris, Oakleigh Chargers
Will Maginness, Oakleigh Chargers
Karl Amon, Sandringham Dragons
Nathan Freeman, Sandringham Dragons
Josh Kelly, Sandringham Dragons
Tom Langdon, Sandringham Dragons
Zac Merrett, Sandringham Dragons
Christian Salem, Sandringham Dragons
Alex Spencer, Sandringham Dragons
James Sicily, Western Jets
VFL
Sam Lloyd, Frankston
Chris Cain, Port Melbourne
Ben Brown, Werribee
Luke McDonald, Werribee
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Josh Glenn, Central Districts
Jake Pitt, Glenelg
Matthew Scharenberg, Glenelg
Nathan Gordon, North Adelaide
Mitch Harvey, North Adelaide
George Hewett, North Adelaide
Alex Spina, North Adelaide
James Aish, Norwood
Trent Dumont, Norwood
Orazio Fantasia, Norwood
Sean Lemmens, Port Adelaide
Luke Reynolds, Port Adelaide
Darcy Hourigan, South Adelaide
James Battersby, Sturt
Dwayne Wilson, Sturt
Zac Bates, West Adelaide
Luke Dunstan, Woodville West Torrens
Cameron Giles, Woodville West Torrens
Malcolm Karpany, Woodville West Torrens
Riley Knight, Woodville West Torrens
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Tom Barrass, Claremont
Darcy Cameron, Claremont
Steven Edwards, Claremont
Richard Bourne, East Fremantle
Patrick Cripps, East Fremantle
Jarrad Jansen, East Fremantle
Jonathon Marsh, East Fremantle
Thomas Hodgson, East Perth
Blaine Johnson, South Fremantle
Dylan Main, South Fremantle
Cameron McCarthy, South Fremantle
Tom Vandeleuer, South Fremantle
Dom Sheed, Subiaco
Michael Wood, Subiaco
Charlie Cameron, Swan Districts
Dayle Garlett, Swan Districts
Rory Lobb, Swan Districts
Blake Acres, West Perth
Nick Robertson, West Perth
NEW SOUTH WALES/ACT
Jake Barrett, Temora
Kieran Ellis, Murray Bushrangers
Michael Gibbons, Murray Bushrangers
Max King, Murray Bushrangers
NORTHERN TERRITORY
Daniel Cox, Southern Districts
Errin Wasley-Black, NT Thunder
QUEENSLAND
Jonathan Freeman, Aspley
Archie Smith, Mt Gravatt
TASMANIA
Brady Grey, Burnie Dockers
Kade Kolodjashnij, Launceston
Jake Kolodjashnij, Launceston
Toby Nankervis, North Launceston
Alex Pearce, Devonport
Eli Templeton, Burnie Dockers
Zac Webster, Glenorchy