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CLOSING speed and height are difficult characteristics to find in draft prospects so that is why Tasmania defender Ryan Gardner has attracted plenty of interest from clubs.
Gardner has emerged as a potential draftee after impressing across half-back for the Allies team in the Grand Final day curtain-raiser against the NAB AFL Academy.
It follows an injury-interrupted year for the Burnie Dockers product who developed a stress fracture in his foot that sidelined him for the first half of this season.
That he clocked a 2.96-second 20m sprint at last month's combine adds to his appeal for prospective AFL clubs.
It is understood St Kilda is among the clubs which have shown interest in the 18-year-old.
"Key defenders don't grow on trees and with the speed he's shown, he's certainly come into calculations as the year's gone on," Tasmanian state academy coach Adam Sanders told AFL.com.au.
"Most clubs have got him on the radar, it just depends where he sits.
"He's behind (Jacob) Weitering and (Kieran) Collins, but late in the draft clubs will be looking for players they need and most clubs could do with another key defender."
If Gardner does not get a look in in the upcoming national or rookie drafts, AFL Tasmania have already committed to keeping him in their program as an overage player in 2016.
The idea of giving players overlooked in the draft another opportunity the following year has been a successful one for the state.
Toby Nankervis (Sydney Swans), Andrew Phillips (Carlton) and Ben Brown (North Melbourne) are some of the players to benefit from another year in the state program.
Sanders nominated Mitch Rainbird, Nick Dodge and Isaac Franks as the other Tasmanian players to look out for, as well as Mitchell Hibberd and Kieran Lovell who are certain to be picked up in the draft.
Franks has garnered interest from clubs after an impressive beep test result at the Victorian draft combine.
The 193cm utility recorded a level 15.8 in the state combine, good enough to place him second at the October 11 session. Only Joshua Schoenfield (16.2) notched a better result.
Rainbird, who is renowned for his clean hands above his head, is also considered one of the state's best prospects, alongside Dodge who has won admirers for his goal sense.
"He can find a goal, which is a very good attribute to have and a player who can sniff a goal out needs to be looked at reasonably closely," Sanders said.
Hibberd was AFL.com.au's draft expert Callum Twomey's 23rd-ranked player in his final phantom form guide for 2015 and his projected draft range is between 10-20.
Powerful midfielder Lovell is also a strong chance to be selected in the second or third rounds of this year's draft.
