Star Western Jets midfielder Liam Duggan showed off his impressive skills at last week’s AFL draft combine at Etihad Stadium.
Of the 100 draft hopefuls who attended the week-long event, Duggan was among the top 10 in the kicking test.
Players were given six targets to kick to and were ranked from one to five based on how close they got.
Out of a possible 30 points Duggan scored 26, placing him among the elite ball users.
The result adds further weight to the teenagers’ draft prospects, which will be decided at the end of November.
As well as having a standout year for the Jets, Duggan captained St Patrick’s College to the state shield and was a part of the AFL AIS Academy.
Western Jets region manager Shane Sexton admires Duggan’s work ethic and commitment.
“Liam has had a super year when you consider everything that has happened,” he said.
“He was injured when he played against Collingwood before going on the European tour with the AIS earlier in the year. But when he got back he was in ripping form.
“He has had a lot of commitments … that is a terrific reflection on the season he has had, that he can play in that amount of footy and still come second in our best and fairest.”
Duggan backed up his kicking test effort with a top-10 finish in the combine three-kilometre time trial.
His time of 10 minutes and 11 seconds was four seconds behind his Western Jets teammate, Connor Menadue, who displayed an elite level of fitness throughout the combine.
Menadue also came in the top 10 in the 20-metre sprint with a time of 2.88 seconds and the repeat sprint test with a time of 24.14 seconds.
The AFL draft will be held on November 27.
