SOME OF this year's brightest draft prospects will fly to the United States on Monday as part of a NAB AFL Academy camp that will mark Luke Power's first trip as head coach.
The 36 Academy players, who are all eligible for the 2017 NAB AFL Draft, and four Irish prospects will train for a week at the IMG Academy in Florida before travelling to Los Angeles, where they will continue their training at a local college.
Power, who took over as Academy coach following Brenton Sanderson's departure to Collingwood in October, will be joined on the trip by recently retired Saints and Kangaroos midfielder Nick Dal Santo, who has signed on as an Academy assistant coach.
Recruiters from 12 AFL clubs will also be on the trip, eager to view the Academy players up close for two weeks ahead of this year's draft.
While the first round of last year's draft was dominated by midfielders, this year's talent crop has some exciting key-position players, including Academy members Connor Ballenden, Jarrod Brander, Alex Paech and Nathan Richards.
Ruckman Sam Hayes and midfielders James Worpel, Hunter Clark and Lochie O'Brien are among the other players on the trip tipped as potential early picks in this year's draft.
Richmond father-son candidate Patrick Naish will also be at the camp. His father, Chris, played 143 games for the Tigers as a small forward from 1990-97 before adding another 18 games at Port Adelaide from 1998-99.
NAB AFL ACADEMY CAMP ATTENDEES
Vic Country: Tyrone Hayes, Aaron Darling, Kane Farrell, Aidan Quigley, Lochie O'Brien, Hunter Clark, Luke Davies-Uniake, Oscar Clavarino, James Worpel, Tom De Koning, Paddy Dow
Vic Metro: Jack Higgins, Lachlan Fogarty, Patrick Naish, Joel Garner, Jaidyn Stephenson, Sam Hayes, Noah Balta, Hayden McLean, Cameron Rayner
South Australia: Jordan Houlahan, Darcy Fogarty, Thomas Schmusch, Callum Coleman-Jones, Andrew McPherson
Western Australia: Jake Patmore, Sam Taylor
NSW-ACT: Charlie Spargo, Jack Powell, Jarrod Brander, Nathan Richards
Queensland: Jack Clayton, Connor Ballenden, Brayden Crossley
Northern Territory: Dominic Grant
