Improving The AFL Draft Camp
The AFL Draft Camp is a good idea, getting the best prospects all together for official measurements and tests is a useful tool. Although in some ways it seems like a few of the teams use this too much, a bit like forgetting to study for a school exam during the year and then cramming just before it.
One actual part of this that has always seemed odd is the surface. Players put on running shoes and are ranked on how well they perform on a wood floor. If you saw a bit of the camp on the news you would have seen a sprint test and the player slip at the start. Football is played on grass, so the draft tests on an indoor floor are not the best idea.
It is a good idea to present an alternative when being critical of something, so here it is. The AFL have a big, empty facility called Telstra Dome. Roof open, or if it rains then roof closed, it has the proper surface and conditions for players to be tested on. Agility tests, sprints and other tests would be closer to game conditions.
The vertical jump is a good indication of a player's leap, but a run on the grass and a jump into a large padded dummy, to simulate the shoulders of a player, could also test a player's "Capper" ability.
The draft camp usually has a 20m sprint, add to those tests a run from the goalsquare to the 50m line.
Longest kick, handball accuracy, even something like punch strength could be measured. That is punching of the ball, useful for ruckmen and backmen.
The AFL will likely release some draft stats soon, these are useful but should not change draft rankings too much. Usually they just confirm what the scouts already thought. But it doesn't hurt your draft prospects to be called the fastest, biggest or most agile player available.
One actual part of this that has always seemed odd is the surface. Players put on running shoes and are ranked on how well they perform on a wood floor. If you saw a bit of the camp on the news you would have seen a sprint test and the player slip at the start. Football is played on grass, so the draft tests on an indoor floor are not the best idea.
It is a good idea to present an alternative when being critical of something, so here it is. The AFL have a big, empty facility called Telstra Dome. Roof open, or if it rains then roof closed, it has the proper surface and conditions for players to be tested on. Agility tests, sprints and other tests would be closer to game conditions.
The vertical jump is a good indication of a player's leap, but a run on the grass and a jump into a large padded dummy, to simulate the shoulders of a player, could also test a player's "Capper" ability.
The draft camp usually has a 20m sprint, add to those tests a run from the goalsquare to the 50m line.
Longest kick, handball accuracy, even something like punch strength could be measured. That is punching of the ball, useful for ruckmen and backmen.
The AFL will likely release some draft stats soon, these are useful but should not change draft rankings too much. Usually they just confirm what the scouts already thought. But it doesn't hurt your draft prospects to be called the fastest, biggest or most agile player available.
