Rays players off to draft

By Paul Pickering
NINE Dandenong Stingrays will strut their stuff in front of AFL recruiters next week as part of the national and state draft combines.
The Stingrays, who bowed out of the TAC Cup competition with a preliminary final loss to eventual premier Calder, will send a strong contingent of seven players to the main AFL draft combine – formerly known as the draft camp – at the Australian Institute of Sport beginning on Tuesday.
Co-captains Luke Parker and Mitch Hallahan will join team-mates Andrew McInnes, Tom Lynch, Jake Batchelor, Arryn Siposs and Todd Elton in Canberra.
Elton, a bottom-age ruck/forward, has been invited by recruiters from the Greater Western Sydney franchise, which is currently finalising its list of a dozen 17-year-olds – born between January and April 1993 – for pre-selection this year.
GWS is expected to announce as early as this week that Stingrays Adam Treloar and Dylan Shiel – who share a birthday – have already committed to the club.
Meanwhile, Dandenong vice-captain Mitch Gent and league-leading goal-kicker Corey Buchan will attend the state combine in Melbourne on 2 October, as will former Stingray and current Frankston VFL star Michael Hibberd.
The national and state combines are designed to test the players’ athleticism, skill and aptitude for a career in the AFL.
The 2010 AFL draft will be held at the Gold Coast Convention Centre on 18 November.