NORTH Ballarat midfielder Dean Towers has enhanced his draft credentials with a record-breaking vertical leap at the NAB AFL Draft Combine in Melbourne.
Towers, 22, set a mark of 85cm in the standing vertical jump on Tuesday, which surpassed the long-standing high mark of 83cm set by former Hawk Trent Croad in 1997.
"It separates him from a very talented group of athletes," AFL national talent manager Kevin Sheehan said.
"He hasn't had the background that most of these kids have had - he's come from nowhere to put himself on the map with his performances for North Ballarat.
"He's a late developer and he's clearly got something special about him - that's a best-ever performance.
"The club's will have every game that he would have played for the year and they'll go back and have a look at his tape to make a football judgment if they haven't already made one.
"Those who were maybe a little unsure will see that performance and go back and have another look."
Tasmanian onballer Jesse Lonergan equalled the mark set by Croad, but while a new record was set in the standing leap, the running vertical jump record of 102cm, set by Nic Naitanui (2008) and Jared Brennan (2002) still stands.
Western Jets forward Spencer White came closest to the mark with a jump of 100cm with West Australian key position prospect Laine Wilkins next best with 97cm.
The top 10 performers in each discipline included a smattering of international flavour with New Zealander Kurt Heatherley and Americans Benjamin Shearry and Eric Wallace showing impressive athletic ability.
"That was fantastic and some of those performances by the internationals were among the best that have ever been tested in 19 years," Sheehan said.
"Some have ended up in the top 10, which is a brilliant effort."
The combine continues at Etihad Stadium on Wednesday with sprint and agility testing among the physical assessments to be conducted.
STANDING VERTICAL JUMP
Dean Towers - 85cm
Jesse Lonergan - 83cm
Spencer White - 82cm
Eric Wallace - 80cm
Laine Wilkins - 75cm
Harrison Marsh - 73cm
James Stewart - 73cm
Adam Saad - 72cm
Clay Cameron - 72cm
RUNNING VERTICAL JUMP
Spencer White - 100cm
Laine Wilkins - 97cm
Jesse Lonergan - 91cm
Eric Wallace - 91cm
Benjamin Shearry - 89cm
Dean Towers - 89cm
Jake McKenzie - 89cm
Clay Cameron - 88cm
Aliir Aliir - 87cm
Kurt Heatherley - 87cm
Jed Anderson - 87cm
Jason Phelan covers the NAB AFL Draft for afl.com.au. Follow him on Twitter @AFL_JasonPhelan
