Four GC SUNS Academy members are among the 61 players invited to the 2023 AFL Draft Combine.

Queensland quartet Will Graham (Palm Beach Currumbin), Jed Walter (Palm Beach Currumbin), Ethan Read (Palm Beach Currumbin) and Jake Rogers (Broadbeach) have already received invitations to the three-day event to be held in Melbourne from Friday, October 6 to Sunday, October 8.

The AFL Draft Combine will showcase many of the country’s most talented draft-age boys footballers. Club interviews and medical screenings will be conducted at the MCG on Friday and Saturday, with physical testing to be held at Margaret Court Arena on Sunday.

Physical testing will include vertical jump, running vertical jump, 20-metre sprint, agility test and 2km time trial.

Selection to attend the AFL Draft Combine was based on the number of nominations provided by AFL recruiters, with all 18 clubs submitting a list of preferred Combine attendees.

AFL Talent Ambassador Kevin Sheehan said the 2023 AFL Draft Combine provided another opportunity for players to showcase their ability ahead of this year’s AFL Draft.

“The players invited to the 2023 AFL Draft Combine are considered by AFL club recruiters to be among the top prospects in this year’s draft pool,” Sheehan said.

“The Combine will provide these young stars another opportunity to display their physical attributes during athletic testing. It also gives AFL clubs the opportunity to gain a better insight into each player during interviews.

“In many ways the Combine is the final piece of the puzzle ahead of the upcoming AFL Draft.”

Surfers Paradise and SUNS Academy product Nick Williams is also among the initial 20-player list invited to attend one of the 2023 AFL State Draft Combines, which will be held in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia throughout October.

The state Combines list will be added to after further consultation with AFL clubs with the final list to be announced later this month.