St Kilda recruiters will keep a close tab on this year’s draft hopefuls this week as the 2014 Draft Combine gets underway at Etihad Stadium.
Recruiters will cast their eye over rigorous physical testing throughout the four days to determine their expectations for the upcoming National Draft in November.
101 draft candidates will be measured, tested and interviewed by all 18 AFL clubs in the lead-up to the 2014 National Draft.
DRAFT WATCH: Pick one on the table
St Kilda Recruiting Manager Tony Elshaug said the combine provided a good opportunity for his team to consolidate its knowledge of the draft talent pool.
“It’s an exciting four days of testing and interviewing and getting to know the players a lot better than we do now,” he said.
“We’ve got a view on their football and their athleticism and we’ve been to a number of homes now and get to know their upbringing and I guess the next four days will tell us a little bit more.”
While the team has been following the prospective players for some time, the tests seek to confirm the knowledge recruiters already have, and gives them an opportunity to see the young guns under pressure.
Elshaug told SAINTS.com.au there tended to be a few surprise performances every year.
“We saw Jimmy Webster a few years ago test really well on the back of a year where he had a number of injuries, (it was) the same with Nathan Wright late in the 2012 season.”
DRAFT WATCH: Road to the combine
“Another one was Brodie Murdoch. He did two tests in two days in extreme heat conditions, a 3km and a beep test and he came through with flying colours and that helped us think of him in a better light than what we saw in his football.”
With the club’s number one draft pick potentially on the table, Elshaug and the team will rank the draft pool from 1-50 with the aim of knowing the players inside out.
Elshaug said this would ensure they understood the talent the club could bring in, regardless of where the picks fall.
“We want to do the best we can for the club. We want to make good, strong informed decisions and gather all the information we can.”
As it stands, St Kilda holds picks 1, 21 and 38 at the National Draft.
The Draft Combine runs until Friday, with the trade period kicking off from next Monday October 6 and the National Draft will be held on the Gold Coast on November 27.
SAINTS.com.au will provide extensive coverage of the 2014 Draft Combine.
