The AFL wishes to advise the US AFL International Combine will be held this week beginning Friday April 25 and concluding on Sunday April 27 in Los Angeles.

Twenty invited athletes will be tested in the same agility, sprinting, jumping and endurance tests that Australian players experience at the NAB AFL Draft Combine held at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne in October each year. They will also  be introduced to the oval shaped Sherrin, for skills workouts, to help judge their potential to learn, for most, a new game.

Six AFL clubs (Collingwood, Sydney Swans, Richmond, Fremantle, Port Adelaide and North Melbourne) will have recruiting staff present at this year’s Combine along with AFL Academies Development Manager Michael Ablett, who has coached the AFL code in the USA and former Sydney Swan, Tadhg Kennelly, who transitioned from Gaelic Football in Ireland, to become a star in AFL.

AFL National and International Development Manager Kevin Sheehan will also be in attendance.

“The US Combine is one of a series of International Combine testing sessions where we invite talented athletes to test their ability and aptitude to our game.

“The invited athletes have completed their college education and predominately have basketball backgrounds .This year we will also see a number with football (NFL) and soccer experience . Recruiters are seeking athletes that could potentially transition to AFL ruckmen or tall defenders,” he said.

Media is invited to attend the US International  Combine and details are as follows:

US AFL International Combine session

1.30pm-3.30pm

Saturday April 26

Velocity Sports

2607 Manhattan Beach Boulevard
Redondo Beach, Los Angeles

Three US athletes have received AFL International Rookie listing after attending previous US International Combines; Eric Wallace (North Melbourne), Jason Holmes (St Kilda) and Patrick Mitchell (Sydney Swans). All are now playing at the second tier level in Australia for their respective AFL clubs  after switching across to the  AFL code.