LEONGATHA and Gippsland Power bean pole, Wil Dawson, has been named in the Victoria Country group to be invited to this year’s National AFL Draft Combine in October this year.
He joins Archer Reid (IK) and Zane Duursma (Foster) also from Gippsland Power, in a 61-strong group drawn from Vic Metro, Vic Country and the various state under 18 competitions.
The make-up of the Combine list was named on Friday, August 4 ahead of a must win game for Gippsland Power against the Bendigo Pioneers at Shepley Oval Dandenong this Saturday, August 5, starting at 2.30pm with both teams teetering on a finals berth with a record of 5-5 each from their 10 games so far this season.
Bendigo Pioneers has the much-vaunted, possible early draft pick, Harley Reid in the National Combine too but plenty of strength besides after beating Gippsland back in April.
Since then, Gippsland has taken some good scalps and see this Saturday’s game as a major test for the success of their season.
The lineup includes an interesting array of South Gippslanders including a mobile, 200cm Wil Dawson at full back, Wil Duursma CHB, Max Donohue wing, Julian Callahan wing, Zane Duursma HF, Archer Reid Fwd, Xavier Lindsay rover, Harry Scott on the interchange and bottom-age prospect Jobe Scapin coming in for his first game.
Ohters in the Power squad include Archie Terlich, Tom Hanily, Zavier Lamers and Liam Serong; demonstrating South Gippsland’s strength as an AFL proving ground.
The full Victorian Country National Combine group is as follows:
- Wil Dawson (Gippsland Power)
- Kade De La Rue (Dandenong Stingrays)
- Harry DeMattia (Dandenong Stingrays)
- Zane Duursma (Gippsland Power)
- Joel Freijah (Greater Western Victoria Rebels)
- Angus Hastie (Geelong Falcons)
- Luamon Lual (Greater Western Victoria Rebels)
- Archer Reid (Gippsland Power)
- Harley Reid (Bendigo Pioneers)
- Oscar Ryan (Murray Bushrangers)
- Cooper Simpson (Dandenong Stingrays)
- George Stevens (Greater Western Victoria Rebels)
- Darcy Wilson (Murray Bushrangers)
More than 60 of the country's leading draft hopefuls have been invited to test at this year's Draft Combine, with Vic Metro representing more than a quarter of the group.
The AFL has announced its list of 61 draft prospects to be invited to the Combine, which will take place from Friday, October 6 through to Sunday, October 8.
The players undergo physical testing, such as the vertical jump, 20-metre sprint and 2km time trial, as well as medical screenings and club interviews with recruiters.
Selection to the Combine is based on the number of nominations provided by the clubs, with the AFL this year also announcing the further 20 players who have received enough nominations to attend one of the three State Draft Combines.
Vic Metro has had the most players nominated, with likely early pick Nick Watson, exciting forward Nate Caddy, tall defender Ollie Murphy and Western Bulldogs father-son prospect Jordan Croft leading that group.
Vic Country was next best with 13 players, including likely No.1 pick Harley Reid and possible top-five selection Zane Duursma, while the Allies – split across Queensland, Tasmania, New South Wales-ACT and the Northern Territory – also combined to have 13 players selected to attend the Combine.
