JAY RANTALL has rushed into top-25 draft contention after his brilliant showing at the NAB AFL Draft Combine earlier this month.
The Greater Western Victoria Rebels midfielder produced the highlight of the week of testing, when he smashed the 2km time trial record with a time of 5:50 minutes.
He also shared top honours in the Yo-Yo aerobic test, reaching level 21.8 in the repeat running test in front of recruiters.
Clubs have taken notice of the ball-getter's results, with Rantall now in the mix with clubs holding picks in the second round.
Brisbane, Sydney, North Melbourne and Geelong have all been linked to the 18-year-old with their selections in the 20s and he looms as a pick-and-play prospect who can feed out the ball by hand.
Rantall averaged 25 disposals and six clearances in 12 games for the Rebels this year in the NAB League, and was also consistent in four games for Vic Country, where he averaged 19 touches.
The strongly built 184cm ball-winner comes from a basketball background, having represented Australia at the 2018 World Cup in Argentina alongside potential top-five pick Luke Jackson.
Rebels talent manager Phil Partington said Rantall's development had been consistent throughout 2019.
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"He's definitely exceeded expectations. He's got a high performance attitude from his basketball background, where he was a smaller player but he got the best out of himself," Partington said.
"He's done the same with his football. He wants to improve in every facet of the game, which is a great attribute.
"His endurance is a big part of his game, and his gut running is elite. His game sense and inside work as a midfielder has grown and he brings teammates into the game."
INDICATIVE DRAFT ORDER Your club's latest picks
The first round of the NAB AFL Draft will be staged on Wednesday, November 27, before the second and remaining rounds are held on Thursday, November 28.
Find Road to the Draft on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.
