WA Players Impress at Telstra AFL and AFLW Draft Combines

The 2024 Telstra AFL Draft Combine and Telstra AFLW Draft Combine wrapped up over the weekend, with a series of physical tests at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre that showcased some of the nation’s top talent.

Athletes competed in key events, including the standing vertical jump, running vertical jump, 20m sprint, and agility tests.

These followed Friday’s 2km time trial at the AIA Centre, which set the stage for a weekend of standout performances.

Western Australia’s Malakai Champion turned heads in the agility test, finishing just behind Queensland’s Leo Lombard.

Champion’s impressive 7.836 seconds secured him second place, just 0.024 seconds off the lead. Will Hayes (7.850) and Bo Allan (7.940) completed the top four in a tightly contested event.

WAFC State Talent Manager Adam Jones said this was a great result for the WA players who have been consistently training since the WAFL home and away season finished.

“We are super pleased with the results of all boys and girls over the course of the National Combine,” Jones said.

“It’s a credit to the time and effort the athletes put into the training for the event.”

On the AFLW side, East Fremantle’s Zipporah Fish made her mark, clocking the fastest agility time with 8.388 seconds.

In the 2km time trial, Molly O’Hehir also shined, taking second place with a strong 7:35-minute finish.

Fish continued to impress in the 20m sprint, where she and fellow WA athlete Taya Chambers claimed second and third place respectively, rounding out a weekend of impressive performances from WA’s rising stars.

WAFC Manager Female Talent, Trent Cooper said the female players had put on a great performance during testing.

“The girls trained for the National Combine under the guidance of our Strength & Conditioning team and the experience gained in the various tests helped them perform at a very high level,” Cooper said.

All testing at the Telstra AFL Draft Combine and Telstra AFLW Draft Combine was conducted by Rookie Me.

The State Draft Combine will take place on Sunday 13 October from 10am at the Gold Netball Centre.

Below are the top 10 results from each of the tests conducted at this year’s national Draft Combine events.

Boys

2km time trial

Name

State

State League Club

Community Club

Time (min:sec)

Joel Cochran

NSW

Sydney Swans Academy

UNSW Bulldogs

6:05

Tobie Travaglia

VIC C

Bendigo Pioneers

Sandhurst

6:13

Angus Clarke

SA

Glenelg

East Gambier

6:16

Will Hayes

WA

Claremont

Subiaco

6:16

Hamish Davis

WA

Claremont

Subiaco

6:18

Harry Charleson

VIC C

GWV Rebels

East Point

6:21

Adrian Cole

VIC C

Sandringham Dragons

St Bedes/Mentone

6:24

Harvey Langford

VIC C

Dandenong Stingrays

Mount Martha

6:24

Christian Moraes

VIC M

Eastern Ranges

Knox

6:25

Luke Urquhart

WA

East Fremantle

Melville

6:25

20m sprint

Name

State

State League Club

Community Club

Time (sec)

Gabriel Stumpf

VIC M

Northern Knights

Warrandyte

2.815

Leo Lombard

QLD

Gold Coast Suns Academy

Broadbeach

2.851

Rhys Unwin

VIC C

GWV Rebels

Cobden

2.914

Jasper Alger

VIC C

Oakleigh Chargers

Warragul

2.931

Malakai Champion

WA

Subiaco

Mines Rovers

2.938

Charlie West

SA

Woodville-West Torrens

Henley

2.957

Jaxon Artemis

WA

South Fremantle

Jandakot Jets

2.959

Charlie Nicholls

SA

Central District

Mintaro Manoora

2.962

David Colbert

IRE

County Dublin

Kilmacud Crokes

2.965

Luke Urquhart

WA

East Fremantle

Melville

2.975

Agility

Name

State

State League Club

Community Club

Time (sec)

Leo Lombard

QLD

Gold Coast Suns Academy

Broadbeach

7.812

Malakai Champion

WA

Subiaco

Mines Rovers

7.836

Will Hayes

WA

Claremont

Subiaco

7.850

Bo Allan

WA

Peel Thunder

Halls Head

7.940

Rhys Unwin

VIC C

GWV Rebels

Cobden

8.012

Kayle Gerreyn

WA

West Perth

Joondalup Kinross

8.082

Harry Armstrong

VIC M

Sandringham Dragons

Ormond

8.132

Finn O’Sullivan

VIC C

Oakleigh Chargers

Koroit

8.136

Thomas Sims

VIC M

Northern Knights

Montmorency

8.136

Jasper Alger

VIC C

Oakleigh Chargers

Warragul

8.141

Standing vertical jump

Name

State

State League Club

Community Club

Height (cm)

Gabriel Stumpf

VIC M

Northern Knights

Warrandyte

76

Jack Whitlock

VIC C

Murray Bushrangers

Shepparton Bears

75

Floyd Burmeister

VIC C

GWV Rebels

Redan

74

Bo Allan

WA

Peel Thunder

Halls Head

72

David Colbert

IRE

County Dublin

Kilmacud Crokes

71

Jonty Faull

VIC C

GWV Rebels

Redan

71

Josh Smillie

VIC M

Eastern Ranges

Park Orchards

71

Matt Whitlock

VIC C

Murray Bushrangers

Shepparton Bears

71

Charlie West

SA

Woodville-West Torrens

Henley

70

Lucas Camporeale

SA

Glenelg

Brighton

69

Running vertical jump

Name

State

State League Club

Community Club

Height (cm)

Alix Tauru

VIC C

Gippsland Power

Warragul Industrials

94

Finn O’Sullivan

VIC C

Oakleigh Chargers

Koroit

93

Bo Allan

WA

Peel Thunder

Halls Head

92

Lucas Camporeale

SA

Glenelg

Brighton

91

Jack Whitlock

VIC C

Murray Bushrangers

Shepparton Bears

91

Floyd Burmeister

VIC C

GWV Rebels

Redan

90

Thomas Sims

VIC M

Northern Knights

Montmorency

90

Matt Whitlock

VIC C

Murray Bushrangers

Shepparton Bears

90

Noah Mraz

VIC C

Dandenong Stingrays

Narre North Foxes

88

Joel Cochran

NSW

Sydney Swans Academy

UNSW Bulldogs

87

Girls

2km time trial

Name

State

State League Club

Community Club

Time (min:sec)

Sarah Poustie

VIC M

Oakleigh Chargers

Old Scotch

7:02

Molly O’Hehir

WA

South Fremantle

South Coogee

7:35

Grace Martin

SA

Woodville-West Torrens

SMOSH West Lakes

7:46

Maggie Mahony

VIC M

Oakleigh Chargers

Old Scotch

7:49

Zipporah Fish

WA

East Fremantle

7:51

Lilly Baker

QLD

Brisbane Lions Academy

Maroochydore

7:52

Amelie Prosser-Shaw

NSW

GWS Giants Academy

East Coast Eagles

7:55

Sara Howley

VIC C

Geelong Falcons

Newtown & Chilwell

8:00

Lily Paterson

WA

Swan Districts

Caversham

8:00

Emma McDonald

VIC M

Oakleigh Chargers

Ashburton

8:01

Lucia Painter

VIC C

Bendigo Pioneers

White Hills

8:01

Holly Ridewood

VIC M

Northern Knights

Heidelberg

8:01

20m sprint

Name

State

State League Club

Community Club

Time (sec)

Tatyana Perry

NT

NT Academy

Palmerston Magpies

3.125

Zipporah Fish

WA

East Fremantle

3.185

Taya Chambers

WA

East Fremantle

Canning Vale

3.243

Holly Ridewood

VIC M

Northern Knights

Heidelberg

3.265

Amelie Prosser-Shaw

NSW

GWS Giants Academy

East Coast Eagles

3.277

Lilly Baker

QLD

Brisbane Lions Academy

Maroochydore

3.279

Zoe Besanko

VIC C

Dandenong Stingrays

Frankston Dolphins

3.297

Heidi Talbot

QLD

Gold Coast Suns Academy

North Cairns

3.313

Sienna Tallariti

VIC M

Oakleigh Chargers

Whitehorse

3.319

Grace Baba

VIC M

Eastern Ranges

Mooroolbark

3.328

Agility

Name

State

State League Club

Community Club

Time (sec)

Zipporah Fish

WA

East Fremantle

8.388

Heidi Talbot

QLD

Gold Coast Suns Academy

North Cairns

8.469

Holly Ridewood

VIC M

Northern Knights

Heidelberg

8.536

Lou-Lou Field

VIC M

Western Jets

Werribee Districts

8.706

Georgia Knight

VIC M

Eastern Ranges

Monbulk

8.740

Emma McDonald

VIC M

Oakleigh Chargers

Ashburton

8.755

Ash Centra

VIC C

Gippsland Power

Sale City

8.766

Esther Schirmer

SA

South Adelaide

Christies Beach

8.781

Amelie Prosser-Shaw

NSW

GWS Giants Academy

East Coast Eagles

8.789

Molly O’Hehir

WA

South Fremantle

South Coogee

8.838

Standing vertical jump

Name

State

State League Club

Community Club

Height (cm)

Grace Baba

VIC M

Eastern Ranges

Mooroolbark

63

Lilly Baker

QLD

Brisbane Lions Academy

Maroochydore

51

Zoe Besanko

VIC C

Dandenong Stingrays

Frankston Dolphins

51

Amelie Prosser-Shaw

NSW

GWS Giants Academy

East Coast Eagles

51

Molly O’Hehir

WA

South Fremantle

South Coogee

50

Zipporah Fish

WA

East Fremantle

49

Tatyana Perry

NT

NT Academy

Palmerston Magpies

49

Holly Egan

VIC C

Murray Bushrangers

Shepparton United

48

Chloe Gaunt

QLD

Brisbane Lions Academy

Coorparoo

48

Sara Howley

VIC C

Geelong Falcons

Newtown & Chilwell

48

Running vertical jump

Name

State

State League Club

Community Club

Height (cm)

Grace Baba

VIC M

Eastern Ranges

Mooroolbark

67

Georgie Brisbane

VIC M

Eastern Ranges

Blackburn

64

Chloe Gaunt

QLD

Brisbane Lions Academy

Coorparoo

63

Molly O’Hehir

WA

South Fremantle

South Coogee

63

Holly Egan

VIC C

Murray Bushrangers

Shepparton United

62

Taya Chambers

WA

East Fremantle

Canning Vale

61

Zipporah Fish

WA

East Fremantle

61

Amelie Prosser-Shaw

NSW

GWS Giants Academy

East Coast Eagles

61

Holly Ridewood

VIC M

Northern Knights

Heidelberg

61

Charlotte Riggs

SA

Central District

Angle Vale

60