Need for Steed: Swans gun leads WA charge in 2km PB fest

Swan Districts young gun Leo Steed led the way for Western Australia’s AFL draft hopefuls in Thursday’s AFL National Draft Combine 2km time trial in Melbourne.

Each of the seven West Aussies competing at the combine record 2km personal-best times in a massive result for the AAMI WA Football Talent Program.

State 18s Boys co-captain Steed, coming off a brilliant year which included AFL Under-18s All-Australian honours and a strong season for Swan Districts seniors, was the quickest of the WA contingent with a blistering time of 6:09.

The prolific midfielder-forward’s time ranked him fifth overall.

Fellow State 18s skipper and Claremont wingman George Gale, who was also named in the Under-18s All-Australian Team, was the next best for WA, three seconds behind Steed with an impressive feat of 6:12 with was equal-seventh overall.

Claremont’s George Gale (far right) recorded the equal-seventh fastest time overall in the 2km time trial in Melbourne. Credit: AFL Photos

West Perth’s Koby LeCras bounced back from a season-ending knee injury with a strong 2km effort of 6:24.

WA’s likely first pick, Claremont gun Heath Mellody who recently feature in the Sullivan Logistics WAFL Grand Final alongside Gale, recorded a time of 6:30.

Falcons key forward Harvey Spawton-Guy (6:45), South Fremantle goalsneak Cam Maynard (6:57) and Claremont ruckman Benji van Rooyen (7:29) also recorded PBs.

The three-day National Draft Combine finishes on Saturday with the 20m sprints, agility test and various jumping tests among the events to come.

The AFLW National Combine Combine 1.6km time trial was run on Wednesday with three West Aussies taking part.

West Perth ruck Cara Dziegielewski, a top-10 hopeful who won WA’s State 18s MVP Award and was named in the All-Australian Team, was the pick of the bunch, finishing second in pool two.

WA’s 2km time trial results at AFL national Draft Combine (times unofficial)

Leo Steed (Swan Districts): 6:09

George Gale (Claremont): 6:12

Koby LeCras (West Perth): 6:24

Heath Mellody (Claremont): 6:30

Harvey Spawton-Guy (West Perth): 6:45

Cameron Maynard (South Fremantle): 6:57

Benji van Rooyen (Claremont): 7:29