HARD-RUNNING midfielder Lachie Whitfield is one of several players capable of breaking some long-standing records when the 2012 NAB AFL Draft Combine kicks off in Melbourne on Tuesday.
Whitfield's elite endurance base is one of the key attributes that have put him in contention to be taken with the No.1 draft pick, with his background in cross-country running likely to put him at the front of the pack in the 3km time trial and the gruelling beep test.
Tom Rischbieth, who went on to be rookied by Port Adelaide, put up a best time of 9m 30s in 2005, while the beep test record of 16.1 was set last year by Bradley Hill, who was then selected by Hawthorn at No.33 at the NAB AFL Draft.
Whitfield will face stiff competition from Vic Country teammate and top-10 draft prospect Oliver Wines, who has also tested well this year with the AIS-AFL Academy.
Both tests are keenly followed by the AFL recruiters in attendance, as are the vertical jumps, with WA tall forward Laine Wilkins and SA livewire Sam Mayes the ones to watch.
Trent Croad set the high mark of 83cm in the standing jump back in 1997, before being selected third overall by the Hawks, while Jared Brennan (2002) and Nic Naitanui (2008) share the record for the running jump of 102cm.
This category is where the American athletes shone at this year's first draft combine held in the USA with Benjamin Shearry, Eric Wallace and Yannick Crowder invited to Melbourne to try and impress AFL talent scouts.
Joel Wilkinson's blazing time of 2.75s in the 20m sprint at the 2010 draft combine - the last to be held in Canberra before the annual event was moved to Etihad Stadium - helped him attract the attention of Gold Coast recruiters, who picked him up with a zone selection.
Players expected to test well here are Queenslander Clay Cameron and WA pair Josh Simpson and Shannon Taylor.
Tasmanian Jesse Lonergan and Wilkins, who has already impressed in agility testing this year, will threaten Stephen Hill's agility run record of 7.77s set in 2008.
This year's combine will run for four days from Tuesday and will include a new goalkicking test, developed by retired Bulldog Brad Johnson, which will assess a player's ability to kick accurately from set shots, tight angles and on the run.
Other testing disciplines include repeat sprints, the Matthew Lloyd clean hands test and the Nathan Buckley kicking test along with medical and psychological assessments that help inform the decisions of recruiters come draft time.
One of the most important aspects of the combine will be the face-to-face interviews conducted by clubs with prospective recruits.
"The combine represents the final chance for players to present their case for inclusion on an AFL list," AFL national talent manager Kevin Sheehan said.
"AFL clubs have made their judgment on a prospect's playing ability and game sense, but at the combine they can look a little deeper into the physical, skill-based and intangible areas."
Jason Phelan covers the NAB AFL Draft for afl.com.au. Follow him on Twitter @AFL_JasonPhelan
