AFL draft 2020: The top performers from combine testing

A NEW record was set by Harry Sharp in the 2km time trial, but he was not the only athletics ace to turn heads at the AFL’s draft combine. SEE ALL THE RESULTS

Harry Sharp won the 2km time trial at the 2020 AFL Draft Combine. Picture: AFL Photos

A PAIR of Australian athletics aces blitzed the AFL’s draft combine as results from testing across the country were finally compiled to determine the top performers.

The only record broken was in the 2km time trial after Greater Western Victoria Rebels wingman Harry Sharp clocked a time of 5min 28sec.

Sharp’s time eclipsed the record that first-year Collingwood midfielder Jay Rantall set at the 2019 combine of 5min 50sec and was 24 seconds faster than any other player in the country this year.

Sharp has combined his football with athletics throughout his teenage years and won the 2000m Steeplechase event at the under-18 Australian All Schools Championships in Perth last year.

He had been preparing to represent his country at the under-20 world championships in Kenya in July before COVID-19 hit.

“He’s an elite athlete but one that can play footy,” GWV Rebels talent manager Phil Partington said.

“He’s put a lot of work in to make sure he’s really strong over the footy now. And he kicks the ball very well as well. The other thing I like about him is he has an elite mindset. That comes from his running so he knows his body really well, his planning, his training regimes. He’s a perfect fit for the AFL.”

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Australian under-18 100m champion Godfrey Okerenyang blitzed the 20m sprint at the AFL draft combine. Picture: AFL Photos

Greater Western Sydney Academy member Godfrey Okerenyang also shone brightly at combine testing in NSW last month, posting the best 20m sprint time of any player outside of Victoria with 2.86 seconds.

Okerenyang, who hails from Wagga Wagga and was the under-18 Australian 100m Champion last year, also topped the table in the running vertical jump from his right leg (92cm) and placed second from his left leg (95cm).

“He’s relatively new to the code with Sudanese heritage but he’s in the GWS Giants Academy as he pursues an AFL dream,” AFL talent ambassador Kevin Sheehan said of Okerenyang.

“Like many aspiring AFL prospects, he’s already an elite talent in another sport.”

Collingwood Next Generation Academy member Reef McInnes recorded the best time overall in the 20m sprint at 2.779 seconds, however that test in Melbourne was conducted with a tailwind.

The likely No. 1 draft pick, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, posted strong results in the running vertical jump (86cm) and the 20m sprint test (2.897 seconds).

Sydney Swans Academy member Braeden Campbell – rated a top-10 draft prospect – finished fourth outside Victoria in the 20m sprint with a time of 2.9 seconds, while 199cm Northern Knights key position prospect Nikolas Cox put his athletic abilities on show to place fourth in the 2km time trial in a time of 6min 5sec.

Cox is the son of former Fitzroy, Melbourne and Brisbane Bears defender Darryl Cox.

The AFL was forced to test 125 top draft prospects at a series of combine tests around the country due to border restrictions this year.

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TOP PERFORMERS – 2020 AFL DRAFT COMBINE RESULTS:

2KM TIME-TRIAL

Harry Sharp (Vic Country – GWV Rebels) 5min 28sec

Fraser Rosman (Vic Metro – Sandringham Dragons) 5min 52sec

Liam Kolar (Vic Metro – Northern Knights) 6min 2sec

Nikolas Cox (Vic Metro – Northern Knights) 6min 5sec

Sam Berry (Vic Country – Gippsland Power) 6min 10sec

Ryan Angwin (Vic Country – Gippsland Power) 6min 11sec

Matthew Allison (Vic Metro – Calder Cannons) 6min 17sec

Finlay Macrae (Vic Metro – Oakleigh Charges) 6min 17sec

Heath Chapman (Western Australia – West Perth) 6min 20sec

Nathan O’Driscoll (Western Australia – Perth) 6min 23sec

Archie Perkins (Vic Metro – Sandringham Dragons) 6min 23sec

William Bravo (Vic Country- Dandenong Stingrays) 6min 23sec

20M SPRINT (NON-VIC)

Godfrey Okerenyang (NSW – GWS GIANTS Academy) 2.86sec

Isiah Winder (WA – Peel Thunder) 2.873sec

Aiden Fyfe (QLD – Gold Coast SUNS Academy) 2.898sec

Braeden Campbell (NSW – Sydney Swans Academy) 2.9sec

Brodie Lake (NT – Southern Districts) 2.907sec

Marc Sheather (NSW – Sydney Swans Academy) 2.910sec

Carter Michael (QLD – Brisbane Lions Academy) 2.912sec

Nathan O’Driscoll (WA – Perth) 2.931sec

Jack Briskey (QLD – Brisbane Lions Academy) 2.935sec

Isaac Chugg (TAS – Tasmania Devils) 2.953sec

Adelaide father-son prospect Luke Edwards takes part in 2020 AFL Draft combine testing in Adelaide. Picture: AFL Photos

20M SPRINT (VIC)

Reef McInnes (Vic Metro – Oakleigh Charges) 2.779sec

Max Holmes (Vic Metro – Sandringham Dragons) 2.801sec

Liam Kolar (Vic Metro – Northern Knights) 2.870sec

Seamus Mitchell (Vic Country – Bendigo Pioneers) 2.880sec

Zavier Maher (Vic Country – Murray Bushrangers) 2.887sec

Joshua Eyre (Vic Metro – Calder Cannons) 2.893sec

Fraser Rosman (Vic Metro – Sandringham Dragons) 2.896sec

Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (Vic Metro – Oakleigh Chargers) 2.897sec

Will Phillips (Vic Metro – Oakleigh Charger) 2.906sec

Liam McMahon (Vic Metro – Northern Knights) 2.923sec

RUNNING VERTICAL JUMP – RIGHT LEG

Godfrey Okerenyang (NSW – GWS GIANTS Academy) 92cm

Isiah Winder (WA – Peel Thunder) 92cm

Seamus Mitchell (Vic Country – Bendigo Pioneers) 91cm

Archie Perkins (Vic Metro – Sandringham Dragons) 91cm

Chris Walker (WA – East Fremantle) 90cm

Denver Grainger-Barras (WA – Swan Districts) 87cm

Joshua Eyre (Vic Metro – Calder Cannons) 87cm

Shannon Neale (WA – South Fremantle) 86cm

Liam McMahon (Vic Metro – Northern Knights) 86cm

Aiden Fyfe (QLD – Gold Coast SUNS Academy) 84cm

Kellen Johnson (WA – West Perth) 84cm

Jack Carroll (WA – East Fremantle) 84cm

Isaac Chugg (TAS – Tasmania Devils) 84cm

RUNNING VERTICAL JUMP – LEFT LEG

Dominic Bedendo (Vic Country – Murray Bushrangers) 99cm

Godfrey Okerenyang (NSW – GWS GIANTS Academy) 95cm

Aiden Fyfe (QLD – Gold Coast SUNS Academy) 95cm

Jack Briskey (QLD – Brisbane Lions Academy) 94cm

Kellen Johnson (WA – West Perth) 94cm

Brodie Lake (NT – Southern Districts) 94cm

Eddie Ford (Vic Metro – Western Jets) 94cm

Sam Berry (Vic Country – Gippsland Power) 94cm

Chris Walker (WA – East Fremantle) 93cm

Joshua Eyre (Vic Metro – Calder Cannons) 93cm

Originally published as AFL draft 2020: The top performers from combine testing