AFLW’s talent manager praises SA’s awesome foursome of 18-year-old footballers after watching them in action at the draft combine

Four young South Australian footballers have returned from the AFLW draft combine with raised draft prospects after impressing talent scouts.

Montana McKinnon participates in the 2km time trial during the 2019 AFLW draft combine in Melbourne on October 2, 2019. Picture: AAP IMAGE/MICHAEL DODGE

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South Australia’s awesome foursome of teenage footballers have been praised as future stars by AFLW insiders.

After completing the women’s draft combine, held in Melbourne on Tuesday and Wednesday, AFLW talent manager Aasta O’Connor described SA’s four representatives — Montana McKinnon, Jaimi Tabb, Hannah Munyard and Madison Newman — as good, well-conditioned athletes who would be an asset to any football team.

The 18-year-olds were put through medical and physical testing including a 2km time trial and vertical jumps.

AFLW Academy members McKinnon (ruck) and Tabb (midfielder) were standouts, O’Connor said.

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SA’s AFLW draft combine contingent go through the yo-yo endurance test: Montana McKinnon, Hannah Munyard, Madison Newman and Jaimi Tabb at Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne. Picture: DYLAN BURNS/AFL PHOTOS VIA GETTY IMAGES

“It’s been a pleasure to watch Montana mature and grow as a person as well as a footballer and to see her not limit herself,” O’Connor said.

“Often our tall players are: ‘OK, my job is to take the mark or do the tall stuff’, but she’s really challenged herself to improve all aspects on her game.”

She described Tabb as a resilient character who went hard on the field.

“Jaimi will confront any contest or situation with real gusto,” O’Connor said.

“She’s the size and shape that could play halfback or half-forward so for any club that’s a windfall, when you’re getting a young player who has that physical attribute.”

Come to the 2019 NAB AFL Women's Draft Combine they said. It will be fun they said...😰

The next crop of #AFLW athletes were put to the test this week in Melbourne, but what did it all involve? @MelbourneAFLW's @LibbyBirch18 went along to find out 👩‍🏫 pic.twitter.com/ZNPhZIVgE5

— AFL Women's (@aflwomens) October 2, 2019

McKinnon and Tabb are widely expected to be picked up by the Crows at the AFLW draft on October 22, and O’Connor said the club would benefit from having the players on its list.

“They’d be getting, in my opinion and things change in football, but they are getting career footballers, they are getting 10-year-plus players,” she said.

“Each of those players have the capacity to have a long career and if you’re a club — and if you think of the now and it’s a short competition — it’s a long-term gain for the Crows if they are selected.

“But they are also getting two individuals who know themselves well and are pretty comfortable being themselves.”

Montana McKinnon completes the sprint test during the 2019 AFLW draft combine at Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne. Picture: DYLAN BURNS/AFL PHOTOS VIA GETTY IMAGES

O’Connor said Newman (defender) was a footballer who had “not a lot of chinks in her armour”, while described Munyard having “X-factor”.

South Adelaide midfielder Munyard further pushed her draft case finishing in the combine’s top 5 in three key areas: standing vertical jump, 20m sprint and agility (no other South Australian finished the top 5).

“For me, Hannah’s been a late bloomer, we have watched Hannah from afar, and she was probably a bit unlucky not to make the AFLW Academy,” O’Connor said.

“She’s matured late, which a lot of players tend to do and if I was coaching her … to me, she’s the X-factor and she might not know that and sometimes it’s better if they don’t, but she can do things on the field that only a few can.

“She’s quite silky and smooth mover with pace and all those things us football lovers get excited about.

“I don’t know her draft prospects because the Crows are such a strong unit. Wherever Hannah lands, if it’s this year or next year I have no doubt she will play AFLW.”

Originally published as AFLW’s talent manager praises SA’s awesome foursome of 18-year-old footballers after watching them in action at the draft combine