ALMOST a million footy cards of draft hopefuls will be available across Australia from this week.

After selling more than 630,000 of the cards last year, the AFL has pushed on to issue more than 880,000 cards of the country's brightest prospects ahead of the 2013 NAB AFL Draft.

The AFL, with its official provider Select, will produce 92 cards in the Future Forces collection, plus signature sets for the 30 players of the AIS-AFL level two program, and the 22 who earned All Australian selection this year.

"We regard the reaction last year as quite phenomenal," the AFL's national talent manager Kevin Sheehan told AFL.com.au.

"It reflects the interest now in the young talent coming through in our rising stars program – the under-18 kids, the draft, the combine.

"People want to know more than just about the top three or four picks. They're digging a little deeper, and this is a great insight to learn more about all the states and territories that are featured."

When the cards were introduced last season, there was some criticism the League was giving too much exposure to players who were yet to be on AFL lists.  

Sheehan said the attention just "goes with the territory".

"These young boys will have their picture in the local paper and have done now for probably two years.

"In their own little community, they are very well known. That's part of managing expectation; it goes with being in sport.

"We have no issue with giving them this experience a fraction earlier than they might have got it."

The NAB AFL Draft Combine will begin on Tuesday and run to Friday.

Twitter: @AFL_CalTwomey