AFL Draft Camp Record Holders: Where Are They Now?

This article is presented in partnership with Draftstars

It's fair to say the AFL recruiting process has always been the subject of great debate. A mix of physical, physiological, psychological, and sociological factors all come under intense scrutiny as recruiters look for an edge that might separate players of seemingly similar potential.

Right now the resources used by clubs vary significantly, some with up to eight full-time recruiters on board. All must be astute in their knowledge of the critical performance aspects they see on the ground, while being able to add a healthy dose of gut feeling to the equation.

It's definitely a tough gig, as decisions made in this arena go a long way towards shaping a club's future. The one certainty is there will always be hits and misses across the board, and they will create heated debate in pubs across the country for as long as we follow the game.

While match performance of prospective draftees is now more important than ever—making the resulting statistical data paramount—fitness testing results are also providing future insights into a player's physical capabilities. To that end, the AFL has been conducting a National Draft Camp since 1994 where aspiring AFL players are put through a battery of tests.

In an attempt to understand whether this data alone leads to sound selections at the draft table, we picked out some record-breaking test achievements and asked the question—where are these players now?

Vertical Jump Test: Marvin Baynham (2014) (88cm)

A measure of a player's leg muscle power, the vertical jump involves starting off on two feet in a stationary position and reaching the highest point on a test instrument called a vertec.

American Marvin Baynham attended an international draft combine in Los Angeles in 2014 before arriving in Melbourne to try his hand at the AFL. The one-time NBA hopeful from Miami was 22-years-old.

"Marvin is an absolute star," AFL International Talent Manager Tadhg Kennelly said at the time. "He's a freak. His agility and speed are unbelievable."

Despite training with several clubs, Baynham was unable to successfully make the transition. That aside, his incredible record for the vertical jump still stands.

Mobile forward and current Sydney Swans player Dean Towers (who was plucked from the VFL as a mature age rookie after being courted by as many as nine clubs in 2012) ranks second with a massive leap of 85cm. Towers had to wait until Round 10, 2014, to make his debut, but now appears to have cemented a regular spot in the starting line-up.

Running Vertical Jump: Jared Brennan (2002) and Nic Naitanui (2008) (102cm)

The running vertical jump is a variation of the above, where the player begins to run and then launches off one leg.

There are no surprises here with both of these players providing great entertainment value for fans over the years with their flashy—and unorthodox—athletic brilliance. Brennan knocked up 173 games with Brisbane and Gold Coast while Natainui was taken by West Coast with the second pick in the 2008 National Draft, and his accolades now include All-Australian selection in 2012. Natainui's physical prowess continues to make him a unique commodity and it's arguable that no other current AFL team is more reliant on one player.

In the lead-up to the 2008 draft Rod Willet, a longtime WA AFL talent scout, described Naitanui as a once-a-generation player. "You just don't get guys who can run and jump like that at his size. I don't know if there is anybody like him in the last five or six years who has that natural ability."

Carlton's then National Recruiting Manager, Wayne Hughes, was more direct. "I've never seen anything like it," he said.

Agility Run: Stephen Hill (2008) 7.77s

In the agility run, a player navigates their way through a slalom-style course.

Fremantle's Stephen Hill arrived on the AFL scene in 2008 as pick three in the AFL draft. He made his mark with his bursts of speed when carrying the ball and immediately caught the eye of supporters. While it took a while for the rest of his game to catch up, he is now among the Dockers best. His younger brother Bradley—currently a Hawk—possesses similar pace and with a possible eye on returning to Western Australia, the two may well be playing under the same banner in 2017.

20m and Repeat Sprints: Joel Wilkinson (2010) 2.75s and 23.4s

In the 20m sprint, times are marked at the 5m, 10m, and 20m marks. The player runs the track three times, and their fastest time is recorded. Repeat sprints are an aerobic recovery test. Players run 30m six times, within a 20-second time cycle—the faster they run, the longer recovery time they have. The score is a total of the six times.

The holder of records in two disciplines, Wilkinson made his debut for the Gold Coast Suns in 2011. While his pace and endurance was clearly elite, he never broke out as a star and was delisted in 2013 before playing in the VFL with the Northern Blues. His pure speed off the mark was eventually spotted by NFL scouts and he spent some time on the Arizona Cardinals roster as a cornerback.

Beep Test: Billy Hartung (2013) 16.06

Players have to run 20m before a beep sound goes off. As they continue to run back and fourth on the track, the time between each beep becomes narrower. The player is disqualified when they fail to reach the line before the beep.

Young Hawk Billy Hartung is well-renowned in AFL circles as a speedster with high-level endurance. His dash off the wing has been highly effective for the reigning premiers during his fledgling career. At this early stage, the 24-year-old looks on the way to carving out a distinguished career at the highest level.

3km Time Trial: Josh Schoenfeld (2015) (9m15s)

Players are broken into groups of 10-20 and try to finish a 3km course first.

The slim-built redhead blitzed the field in the 2015 Draft Camp time trial and went on to underscore his endurance by completing the second-fastest shuttle run of all time behind Hartung. He was selected by the Gold Coast Suns with pick No.34 in the draft that year, but to this point has only played a single game for the club. As with many of these young guns, only time will tell if he makes the grade.

This article is presented in partnership with Draftstars