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THE AFL is continuing its talent search abroad this weekend by staging an international draft combine in Dublin.
Former Sydney star and League talent coordinator Tadhg Kennelly is running the event in Ireland where 23 athletes are taking part in the screening.
The competition continues to attract athletes from different parts of the world, including an increasing market in the US. But Ireland remains the most successful breeding ground for international category B rookies for clubs.
"It is one of three combines we run around the world, along with New Zealand and America in April each year," said AFL national and international talent manager Kevin Sheehan.
"We've had some great success with those. And out of Ireland we've not got 12 boys on lists in the AFL, including four who were signed this year and came through this process.
"This is the next round of it and Tadhg is there with the boys going through the testing."
One of the athletes attending – Jacob Raiwal – is from France, having been identified to push his claims at the combine through the AFL's European correspondents.
Irish prospects Mark O'Connor, who recently signed with Geelong after attending the NAB AFL Draft Combine, and new Hawthorn recruit Conor Glass, went through the international combine process in recent years before making the leap onto AFL lists.
Athletic testing such as agility, speed and jumping results are all recorded at the combine, along with an introduction to the oval-shaped ball.
The leading four prospects from the testing days will join the NAB AFL Academy for its training camp at the IMG Academy in Florida early next year.
"Hopefully a few of the boys attending this weekend will come away from the testing with a long-term goal to make the AFL," Sheehan said.
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