Carlton’s recruiting team will spend the new few days casting a keen eye over draft hopefuls at Etihad Stadium.
The AFL’s Draft Combine is underway with 82 young footballers being put through their paces.
The players will undergo a range of medical, fitness and skills tests, including a beep test, standing jumps, 20m sprints, kicking tests and a 3km time trial.
Carlton’s Head of Football Andrew McKay says an important part of the process will be interviewing potential recruits.
“Obviously we’ve got the first round pick, and hopefully a number of other picks through trades, so it’s very important that we get to know the prospective draft picks because we want the right type of people to come through the door,” McKay said.
“We know they can play footy, certainly we want the best football players we can to come in the door, but we (also) want good people who can improve our culture and really get on the journey with us.”
Among the draft hopefuls are the sons of past Carlton players Dean Rice and Stephen Silvagni, who the Blues could potentially recruit under the father-son rule.
McKay says Bailey Rice and Jack Silvagni are quite different players.
“Jack’s the taller, leaner, probably less developed player at the moment but can play both ends, both back and forward, which I suppose his father did in a sense as well,” McKay said.
“Bailey is a bit more developed, an elite kick, a powerful runner, plays off that halfback line mainly.
“He played for the Northern Blues a couple of times this year, which was fantastic to see and he stepped up to that level quite comfortably.”
The 2015 NAB AFL Draft will be held in Adelaide on Tuesday 24 November.