FORMER Demon Dom Barry could be on the verge of an AFL lifeline, having scored an invite to South Australia's State Combine.
The 23-year-old played five games for Melbourne in 2014 before quitting to return to the APY Lands, along with spending time in Darwin and Alice Springs, to devote more time to his indigenous culture.
Barry, who won a NEAFL premiership with NT Thunder in 2015, relocated to Adelaide last year to start a teaching degree and play for SANFL club Glenelg to try to revive his AFL dream.
He is one of 96 players set to test at State Combines in Victoria (55), South Australia (21), and Western Australia (20). Recruiters will run their eyes over a further 23 footballers at the Rookie Me Combine, created due to number restrictions at Etihad Stadium.
Glenelg coach Matthew Lokan, who played 46 games for Collingwood, said Barry had the attributes to be a success in the AFL.
"Dom's been outstanding, and his ability to run – both his endurance and speed – is AFL standard," Lokan told AFL.com.au.
"Part of his decision to come down to Adelaide was to get back into the system. He lived at a boarding school in Ballarat when he was growing up (from 14 years of age), so he hadn't spent much time at home, but now he's done that.
"He's had a really consistent year. Early on, he wasn't getting a lot of attention from the opposition, but they're starting to run tags now."
The Tigers already had Darcy Fogarty and Alex Martini heading to the NAB AFL Draft Combine. Clubmates Barry, father-son prospect Jackson Edwards, Sam Davis, Liam Denton, Tobin Cox and Curtis McCarthy are going to the State Combine.
Among the other highlights are 10 VFL-listed footballers across the Victorian State and Rookie Me combines.
Casey's Bayley Fritsch, Richmond's Derrick Smith, Essendon's Alex Boyse and Nick Hind and Williamstown's Brett Bewley are the State invitees. Bombers James Ferry and Kieran Strachan, Collingwood's Marty Hore, Seagull Josh Newman – brother of Sydney's Nic – and Box Hill's Sam Switkowski are off to the Rookie Me Combine.
Subiaco's Liam Ryan, who leads the WAFL with 60 goals in 18 games this year, headlines the West Australian list after also being on the AFL radar last year.
East Perth ruckman Scott Jones and Ryan's teammate Liam Baker are others to watch as well as ex-Docker Haiden Schloithe (South Fremantle).
Victorian State Combine
Bayley Fritsch (Casey Scorpions VFL)
Noah Answerth (Oakleigh Chargers)
Matthew King (Oakleigh Chargers)
Connor Nutting (Gold Coast Suns Academy)
Aiden Quigley (Gippsland Power)
Tristan Xerri (Western Jets)
Harry Benson (Geelong Falcons)
Ed Newman (Sandringham Dragons)
Callum Porter (Gippsland Power)
Cooper Stephens (Geelong Falcons)
Daniel Johnston (Murray Bushrangers)
Quintin Montanaro (Sandringham Dragons)
Oskar Baker (Aspley)
James Bell (Sydney Swans Academy)
Tom Boyd (Murray Bushrangers)
Lewin Davis (Bendigo Pioneers)
Harrison Gunther (Glenorchy)
Josh Jaska (Geelong Falcons)
Riley Jones (Oakleigh Chargers)
Doulton Langlands (GWS Giants Academy/Murray Bushrangers)
Harry Nolan (Eastern Ranges)
Derrick Smith (Richmond VFL)
Joel Amartey (Sandringham Dragons)
Alex Boyse (Essendon VFL)
Aaron Darling (Dandenong Stingrays)
Alex Federico (Northern Knights)
Jake Hinds (Tasmania)
Austin Hodge (Gippsland Power)
Dylan Landt (Calder Cannons)
Cassidy Parish (Geelong Falcons)
Laitham Van Der Meer (Murray Bushrangers)
Callan Wellings (GWV Rebels)
Riley D'Arcy (Dandenong Stingrays)
Max Dreher (Northern Knights)
Nick Hind (Essendon VFL)
Nick Hogan (Gippsland Power)
Thomas Mundy (Burnie)
Joel Naylor (Northern Knights)
Kai Owens (Sandringham Dragons)
Ethan Phillips (Oakleigh Chargers)
Harry Simmington (Gold Coast Suns Academy/Labrador)
Aidan Tilley (Calder Cannons)
Seb Williams (Sandringham Dragons)
Mark Baker (Northern Knights)
Brett Bewley (Williamstown VFL)
Sam Cameron (Sandringham Dragons)
Sam Davidson (Gold Coast Suns Academy/Palm Beach)
Bailey Griffiths (Marcellin College)
Jackson Hille (Sandringham Dragons)
Dane Hollenkamp (Geelong Falcons)
Jy Lane (GWS Giants Academy/Murray Bushrangers)
Tom Murphy (Dandenong Stingrays)
Geordie Nagle (Sandringham Dragons)
Alex Paech (GWS Giants Academy/Murray Bushrangers)
Nathan Richards (GWS Giants Academy)
South Australian State Combine
Jackson Edwards (Glenelg)
Brodie Carroll (Norwood)
Stefan Giro (Norwood)
Cameron Ball (Norwood)
Mitch Crowden (Sturt)
Josh Smithson (West Adelaide)
Jake Weideman (Woodville-West Torrens)
Dom Barry (Glenelg)
Oscar Chapman (North Adelaide)
Sam Davis (Glenelg)
Liam Denton (Glenelg)
Brandon Zerk-Thatcher (Sturt)
Lochie Charlton (Norwood)
Patrick Wilson (Sturt)
Tobin Cox (Glenelg)
Bryce Denham (North Adelaide)
Isaac Hewson (Norwood)
Curtis McCarthy (Glenelg)
Jordan Sweet (North Adelaide)
Jordan West (Woodville-West Torrens)
Tom Schmusch (Woodville-West Torrens)
West Australian State Combine
Gordon Narrier (Perth)
Aaron Redhead (East Perth)
Chris Scott (East Fremantle)
Damon Cramer (Peel Thunder)
Jonathan Frampton (South Fremantle)
Wil Powell (Claremont)
Liam Ryan (Subiaco)
Liam Baker (Subiaco)
Jordan Boullineau (Peel Thunder)
Scott Jones (East Perth)
Lachlan Mitchell (Peel Thunder)
Haiden Schloithe (South Fremantle)
Christian Ameduri (East Perth)
Ryan Burrows (South Fremantle)
Patrick Farrant (Swan Districts)
Zac Langdon (Claremont)
Tyrese Miller (West Perth)
Cody Nineytte (Perth)
Zareth Roe (Perth)
Taryce Stewart (Swan Districts)
Rookie Me Combine
Hamish Brayshaw (Sandringham Dragons)
Damien Burke (Gold Coast Suns Academy)
James Ferry (Essendon VFL)
Tom Freeman (Dandenong Stingrays)
Joel Griffiths (Geelong Grammar)
Jake Hardman (Sydney Swans Academy)
Matthew Harman (Northern Knights)
Lachlan Harris (Sandringham Dragons)
Marty Hore (Collingwood VFL)
Cooper Jones (Bendigo Pioneers)
Daniel Joseph (Aspley)
Francis Kinthari (NT Thunder)
Jordan Lynch (Eastern Ranges)
Josh Newman (Williamstown VFL)
Tony Olango (NT Thunder)
Kieren Parnell (NT Thunder)
Julian Patterson (Gippsland Power)
Kieran Strachan (Essendon VFL)
Sam Switkowski (Box Hill VFL)
Charlie Thompson (Oakleigh Chargers)
Aaron Trusler (Sandringham Dragons)
Jack Clayton (Brisbane Lions Academy)
Kwaby Boakye (Gold Coast Suns Academy)
