PORT Adelaide premiership coach Mark Williams has been engaged by the AFL to help develop the American athletes vying for a rookie spot at this year's US Combine.

As AFL.com.au revealed last month, the League is going back to Dallas in June for a three-day US Combine after reintroducing the event last year after a long layoff. 

The League's talent department have already confirmed at least 13 athletes to be attending the Combine at Southern Methodist University in Texas, as the AFL continues its strategy for international talent coming from the US market. 

More athletes are expected to be added in the next month, with basketballers over 206cm set to feature prominently as key targets to be trialled in front of clubs. Clubs were told on Tuesday that the AFL has secured some talent who are close to 7'4 (223cm). 

Williams, who coached the Power to their 2004 flag in his 273-game stint at the club, has been added as specialist skills coach to work with the players remotely in the lead-up to the Combine and then again during the Combine in America

The former Collingwood captain has a long history in coaching and developing players, including at Essendon, Port Adelaide, Greater Western Sydney, Richmond and most recently Melbourne, where he departed last year after five years in their football department. 

Collingwood, St Kilda, Gold Coast, Hawthorn and Geelong all sent scouts to America for the testing last year however no athletes were selected by clubs. This year's event will run on June 5-7 with clubs to inform the League by the middle of May if they are intending to attend.