Tom Green could inspire next gen as AFL combine calls

Canberra's Tom Green, who is being touted as the ACT's first top 10 prospect at this year's draft, was part of the 79 young guns named to take part in the AFL combine on Monday.

The combine will be held in Melbourne from October 1-4, where Green will be put through a series of tests and interviews as AFL clubs hone in on who they'll take in the end-of-season draft.

Green starred for the Allies at this year's under-18 national championships and those performances could see him crack the top 10.

While Canberran Phil Davis was taken at pick 10 in 2008, he'd spent the previous four years living in Adelaide.

GWS Giants forward Harry Himmelberg (pick 16) is currently the highest draftee taken out of Canberra, while St Kilda midfielder Jack Steele was taken at 24 in a run of high draft picks coming out of Canberra in recent years.

"It would be amazing to have a kid that has come through the Canberra system, it would be fantastic and shine a spotlight on the drafting even more so," Mahar said.

"Kids are so lucky to get drafted these days at any stage throughout the draft, but being in the top 10 would come with a whole new level of attention.

"Hopefully it has an impact on all the young kids out there and gives them confidence they can do what Tom has done.

"Hopefully they would see it as if he can do it they can do it."

There might even be more AFL players coming out of the same family, let alone the same city - Green's one of four brothers.

Mahar credited the Giants' academy in playing a role in the high draft picks coming out of Canberra.

He said it not only helped develop ACT talent, but also gave them greater exposure to AFL clubs as well.

"The Giants academy has certainly assisted in that," Mahar said.

"Typically those kids would train at their club and then go away and play in nationals, and traditionally it would just be their pure talent.

"If they stay here in Canberra it's a bit of fishbowl and they only have to compete against those kids that are here and when they're taken out of that they go to a whole new level.

"They typically play at the national carnivals and that's it.

"That's one week in any given year and a lot of kids can play good footy throughout the year and may have a down week during that national carnival.

"But the eyes are certainly on Canberra 12 months of the year really."