GLENELG youngster Harrison Gill is creeping into draft calculations after a scintillating performance at last Saturday's State Combine in Adelaide.
Gill, who won a Powerade SANFL Star Search nomination this season, finished second in the 20m sprint, agility test, standing vertical leap and the beep test.
His agility course time of 8.2 seconds would have been second best at the recent NAB AFL Draft Combine at Etihad Stadium, while his 20m sprint time of 2.85 seconds would have seen him finish third.
His beep test score of 14.2 would have been good enough for a top-10 place.
At 186cm, Gill, who turned 19 this week, is an exciting midfield prospect and played six League games for the Tigers this season.
Despite playing a chunk of senior football, he finished second in the club's reserves best and fairest and took out an E.R. Curnow award in recognition of his dedication and attitude on and off the field.
But Gill wasn’t the only performer to stand up, with South Australia's under-18 coach Brenton Phillips saying the numbers put up last Saturday should see several players drafted in either November or in December's NAB AFL Rookie Draft.
North Adelaide's Jake Liston topped the beep test with 14.7, Sam Underwood matched Gill's 2.85-second 20m sprint and Brad Hartman impressed with an 8.15-second agility test.
Phillips said several players "put their names up in lights" ahead of the NAB AFL Draft.
"There were a number of boys who got down to sub three-second 20 metres, so that's always a good indication," Phillips said.
"Sam Underwood and Harrison Gill both ran 2.85 seconds for the sprint and then Kaiden Brand, who is a fairly tall ruckman at 198cm, ran a 2.93, so he was fairly quick as well.
"That would have put them in the top 10 per cent.
"Brad Hartman was able to go around in 8.15 [seconds] for the agility and he also ran a 2.95 20m, so that was good again.
"With the numbers achieved I would have thought there would be a few guys who put their names up in lights and confirmed that from a physical point of view they are capable of doing it."
But the numbers are slightly skewed.
While players at the NAB AFL Draft Combine in Melbourne tested from October 2-5 and were able to rest in between tests, those at the state screenings had just one day.
But Phillips said AFL clubs understood the impact fatigue had on test scores and that most of the scores were simply conformation of what they already knew.
"We ask them to do the jumps, agility, straight sprint, repeat sprint and also the beep test all on the one day whereas at the nationals they space it out so you get a fair recovery in between," he said.
"Whilst we test them physically, most of the clubs I think have got a genuine understanding if they will draft them or not.
"So if someone runs a 2.85-second 20m sprint, they might think, 'yep - he plays like that' or, 'gee I really didn't think he played that quick but I know now he's got genuine leg speed.'"
Harry Thring is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Harry.
