TALENTED midfielder Luke English (17) will be looking to show off his physical prowess when he joins 11 WAFL players who have been invited to undertake testing at the AFL National Draft Combine in October.
The Mazenod College student said the Draft Combine was the final assessment period before the 2018 AFL Draft in November.
“It gives players one last chance to show off their football skills in front of club recruiters,” he said.
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READ NOW“I didn’t start playing footy until I was nine because you weren’t allowed to tackle in Auskick,” he said.
“It’s been a dream ever since I was very young to go to the Draft Combine and I’m aiming to show them I am a strong athlete, with a great work rate who finds the football a lot.”
AFL National Talent Manager Kevin Sheehan said the Draft Combine was an exciting time for players and clubs.
“Clubs will get to see the players in action up close before conducting interviews to rate the players’ overall potential as the countdown begins to the 33rd AFL Draft,” he said.
English was part of the WA squad that placed third at the AFL Under 18 Championships last month and in 2017 won the Jack Clarke Medal in 2017 as the best player in the WAFL colts competition.
His tackling and work ethic has seen him compared to West Coast Eagles great Matt Priddis.
He said he was grateful his school had allowed him to follow his dream of making it to the elite level of football.
“I have been under the wing of some really good footy players and the College have let me have time off school to focus on my footy and help me achieve my goals,” he said.
English said while he was a West Coast Eagles fan he wasn’t fussy when it came to which club picked him in the draft.
“Whoever takes me I am happy to play my guts out for.”