Cannons fire at combines

While the 2019 NAB League seasons have well and truly concluded for our boys and girls, the hard work continued for several draft hopefuls.

Calder had 12 players attend last week’s NAB AFLW, AFL and state combines, putting their mental and physical skills to the test in front of on-looking recruiters.

The high performance team had been working with all combine-bound Cannons post season, to best prepare them for the testing days.

It started with the AFL Women’s Draft Combine where Cannons graduates Georgia Patrikios, Alana Barba and Felicity Theodore spent two days at the MCG, Margaret Court Arena and Collingwood’s Holden Centre to undertake several tests and interviews.

The four-day AFL Draft Combine – attended by midfielder Daniel Mott and key forward Harrison Jones – was also split across several venues.

Club interviews were held at the super boxes at Rod Laver Arena, medical screenings took place at the MCG and Margaret Court Arena housed the athletic tests, such as the agility, speed, yo-yo and jump tests.

The 2km time trial was held at the Holden Centre.

Mott recorded the equal-third highest standing vertical jump (70cm), while Jones registered a top 10 finish in the running vertical jump (83cm), 20-metre sprint (2.963 seconds) and yo-yo test (21.4).

On Saturday, seven Cannons – Curtis Brown, Brodie Newman, Sam Ramsay, Jeremy O’Sullivan, Nathan Stewart, Lachlan Gollant and Francis Evans – attended the Sate Combine at Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre, with three of them recording top-five numbers for the running vertical jump.

See some of the results from the AFL and State combines below:

AFL DRAFT COMBINE

STANDING VERTICAL JUMP

Miles Bergman (Sandringham Dragons): 77cm

Brady Rowles (Bendigo Pioneers): 73

Ben Johnson: 70

Daniel Mott (Calder Cannons): 70

Cody Weightman (Dandenong Stingrays): 69

Sam Flanders (Gippsland Power): 69

Lachlan Williams (Dandenong Stingrays): 69

Sam Philp (Northern Knights): 69

Nick Bryan (Oakleigh Chargers): 69

RUNNING VERTICAL JUMP

Brady Rowles (Bendigo Pioneers): 98cm

Miles Bergman (Sandringham Dragons): 90

Sam Flanders (Gippsland Power): 88

Cian McBride: 87

Lachlan Williams (Dandenong Stingrays): 86

Hugo Ralphsmith (Sandringham Dragons): 86

Jaxon Prior: 85

Nick Bryan (Oakleigh Chargers): 85

Oscar Lewis (Sandringham Dragons): 83

Kysaiah Pickett: 83

Cody Weightman (Dandenong Stingrays): 83

Will Day: 83

Brady Rowles (Bendigo Pioneers): 83

Cooper Stephens (Geelong Falcons): 83

Harrison Jones (Calder Cannons): 83

20-METRE SPRINT

Sam Philp (Northern Knights): 2.867 seconds

Ben Johnson: 2.885

Malcolm Rosas: 2.924

Mitch Georgiades: 2.925

Noah Cumberland: 2.931

Finn Maginness (Sandringham Dragons): 2.957

Harrison Jones (Calder Cannons): 2.963

Jeremy Sharp: 2.966

Brady Rowles (Bendigo Pioneers): 2.968

Dylan Stephens: 2.972

YO-YO TEST

Jay Rantall (GWV Rebels): level 21.8 

Cooper Stephens (Geelong Falcons): 21.8

Connor Budarick: 21.6

Chad Warner: 21.6

Oscar Lewis (Sandringham Dragons): 21.5

Sam Philp (Northern Knights): 21.5

Lachlan Ash (Murray Bushrangers): 21.4

Harrison Jones (Calder Cannons): 21.4

Finn Maginness (Sandringham Dragons): 21.4

Trey Ruscoe: 21.4

Riley Baldi (Gippsland Power): 21.3

Sam Flanders (Gippsland Power): 21.3

Matthew Rowell (Oakleigh Chargers): 21.3

Jeremy Sharp: 21.3

STATE COMBINE

RUNNING VERTICAL JUMP

Jeremy O’Sullivan (Calder Cannons): 96cm

Andrew Courtney (Sandringham Dragons): 94cm

Jake Riccardi (Werribee): 92cm

Bigoa Nyuon (Dandenong Stingrays): 92cm

Brodie Newman (Calder Cannons): 92cm

Nathan Stewart (Calder Cannons): 92cm

The AFLW Draft will be held on Tuesday October 22, while the AFL Draft is on Wednesday and Thursday, November 27 and 28.

The Calder Cannons Football Club wishes all aspiring draftees the best in the upcoming drafts.