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For the second year in a row clubs looking to draft a teenage ruckman will be choosing from a limited pool.
Just three young rucks have been invited to attend the end-of-season combine, after only two were picked up in last year's draft.
Dandenong's Gach Nyuon and Sturt's Andre Parella are two of the 76 players on the invite list, as well as Narrandera's Matthew Flynn.
GWS have first call on Flynn - as well as midfielders Jacob Hopper and Matt Kennedy - as a Giants Academy player.
While Sam Skinner (Gippsland) and Queenslander Mabior Chol (Lions Academy) have spent time in the ruck this season, both appear better suited to other positions.
Last year, Hawthorn drafted Marc Pittonet with the 50th pick in the draft while Port Adelaide chose Billy Frampton at No.84.
Peter Wright, the No.8 pick, was viewed by some scouts as a ruckman but preferred to play as a marking forward and has started out there for the Gold Coast Suns this year.
The combine numbers will be reduced to about 80 this year, with four spots to be filled in the next two weeks, which is reflective of this year's apparently weak pool.
The combine committee felt reducing the number of attendees to 80 would mean recruiters' attention wasn't spread too thin.
The later than usual start date - the combine will be held late in the week after the October 3 grand final - means some players will have to negotiate a clash with school commitments.
The Victorian players have been asked to come in late on the Thursday afternoon of October, with the combine running through the weekend.
Victoria will again have the most number of participants, with 22 Vic Country players (including eight Dandenong Stingrays) invited along.
Vic Metro had 19 players nominated, ahead of South Australia (12) and both NSW-ACT and Western Australia on seven.
All five Queenslanders invited are available to Brisbane as Lions Academy players, with just two Tasmanian and Northern Territory prospects nominated.
While a couple of 19-year-olds have been given a second chance to impress after being overlooked in last year's draft, the list is devoid of any true mature-age prospects.
Clubs will this week get a closer look at four American prospects who impressed at the US combine held in LA earlier this year.
Matt Korchek, Kye Kurkowski, Jalen Carethers and James Johnson will train in front of recruiters on Wednesday, with Carlton having the inside running on the 206-centimetre Korchek, a college basketballer.
The AFL is moving closer to settling on a location and date for this year's draft, with Adelaide still the more likely venue but Gold Coast back in the mix in the last couple of weeks.
An Adelaide draft would need to be held earlier in the week than usual - probably on a Tuesday or Wednesday night in late November - to avoid clashing with the build-up to the first cricket Test.
For the second year in a row clubs looking to draft a teenage ruckman will be choosing from a limited pool.
Just three young rucks have been invited to attend the end-of-season combine, after only two were picked up in last year's draft.
Dandenong's Gach Nyuon and Sturt's Andre Parella are two of the 76 players on the invite list, as well as Narrandera's Matthew Flynn.
GWS have first call on Flynn - as well as midfielders Jacob Hopper and Matt Kennedy - as a Giants Academy player.
While Sam Skinner (Gippsland) and Queenslander Mabior Chol (Lions Academy) have spent time in the ruck this season, both appear better suited to other positions.
Last year, Hawthorn drafted Marc Pittonet with the 50th pick in the draft while Port Adelaide chose Billy Frampton at No.84.
Peter Wright, the No.8 pick, was viewed by some scouts as a ruckman but preferred to play as a marking forward and has started out there for the Gold Coast Suns this year.
The combine numbers will be reduced to about 80 this year, with four spots to be filled in the next two weeks, which is reflective of this year's apparently weak pool.
The combine committee felt reducing the number of attendees to 80 would mean recruiters' attention wasn't spread too thin.
The later than usual start date - the combine will be held late in the week after the October 3 grand final - means some players will have to negotiate a clash with school commitments.
The Victorian players have been asked to come in late on the Thursday afternoon of October, with the combine running through the weekend.
Victoria will again have the most number of participants, with 22 Vic Country players (including eight Dandenong Stingrays) invited along.
Vic Metro had 19 players nominated, ahead of South Australia (12) and both NSW-ACT and Western Australia on seven.
All five Queenslanders invited are available to Brisbane as Lions Academy players, with just two Tasmanian and Northern Territory prospects nominated.
While a couple of 19-year-olds have been given a second chance to impress after being overlooked in last year's draft, the list is devoid of any true mature-age prospects.
Clubs will this week get a closer look at four American prospects who impressed at the US combine held in LA earlier this year.
Matt Korchek, Kye Kurkowski, Jalen Carethers and James Johnson will train in front of recruiters on Wednesday, with Carlton having the inside running on the 206-centimetre Korchek, a college basketballer.
The AFL is moving closer to settling on a location and date for this year's draft, with Adelaide still the more likely venue but Gold Coast back in the mix in the last couple of weeks.
An Adelaide draft would need to be held earlier in the week than usual - probably on a Tuesday or Wednesday night in late November - to avoid clashing with the build-up to the first cricket Test.
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