Martin Gleeson.
ATHLETIC Rebels forward Louis Herbert will be tested among the nation’s most promising talent in the AFL national combine.
Herbert is the 10th North Ballarat footballer, including state combine invitees, called up for screening in October.
The AFL named 17 medium forwards this week for scrutiny on the national stage.
Herbert represented Vic Country in one match at the AFL national under-18 championships this year and has booted 29 goals in 15 TAC Cup matches this season, including a career high eight-goal haul against Murray.
The South Warrnambool junior is known for his strong overhead marking and penetrating right-foot kick.
Herbert’s call-up follows last week’s naming of medium defenders, including fellow Warrnambool prospect Martin Gleeson (Koroit).
Gleeson averaged 14.1 disposals and four marks in TAC Cup matches this season, featuring as a hard-running defender or wingman.
Rebel Tyler Blake (Horsham) was named as a medium defender for state combine.
The Rebels build a strong presence at both combines with more expected to be invited as the AFL rolls out its lists of tall forwards, tall defenders and ruckmen in the next three weeks.
North Ballarat Roosters’ wingman Dean Towers is the club’s sole Victorian Football League invite named so far.
Towers was invited to AFL national combine.
Other Rebels invited to date for combines include medium midfielders Dom Barry, Matt Crouch, Jake Lloyd, Tony Lockyer and small forwards Jake Neade and Nick Rippon.
Meanwhile, Nic Naitanui’s standing vertical leap draft camp record has been broken by six elite American college athletes in the inaugural AFL USA Combine in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
Boise State footballer Derrel Acrey was most impressive, jumping 90 centimetres to eclipse Naitanui’s 78-centimetre mark.
The three-day US screening, testing basketballers and American footballers, will select two candidates to the AFL national combine at Etihad Stadium.