ATTENTION will turn to this year's draft class as the NAB AFL Academy heads on its high performance camp in America on Sunday.
The group, which consists of 32 prospects from around the country eligible for this year's NAB AFL Draft, will train at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, for a week.
The Academy has set up base at the expansive and world class facility for the past three years and will be back to train and live among aspiring tennis, soccer and rugby players, as well as other athletes from around the world.
Under coach Luke Power, the Academy will then spend several days in Santa Monica, where it will train at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Approximately 10 clubs will send a recruiter on the trip to observe the prospects throughout the trip, with attending scouts seeing it as a valuable insight into the players ahead of their under-18 season.
Next year's draft already looks to have some impressive tall prospects, with South Australian forward Jack Lukosius impressing at senior SANFL level and the 200cm King twins – Max and Ben – showing their skills in the TAC Cup.
Half-forward/midfielder Izak Rankine starred for South Australia at the mid-year NAB AFL Under-18 Championships and shapes as an early selection at the draft, while Sam Walsh has already established his credentials as one of the leading midfielders available.
There are also several father-son prospects who will be on the national Academy's US camp, including Bailey Scott, Nick Blakey and Rhylee West.
West is eligible to join the Western Bulldogs, where his father Scott was a seven-time best and fairest winner, while Scott can join Geelong and North Melbourne as a father-son, where his dad Robert played. Scott also qualifies as an academy pick for Gold Coast, where he has lived in recent years.
Blakey also faces a call between three clubs – North Melbourne and Brisbane, where his father John played, and Sydney, where John is an assistant coach and Nick a part of the club's Academy program.