Australian American football talent was joined by a cast of international hopefuls at the inaugural National Gridiron League combine on the Gold Coast last weekend, hoping to prove their worth to league coaches ahead of the league’s October 2016 kick off.
Sub 4.4 40 by Australian Olympic hopeful
The 2011 Stawell Gift (prestigious Australian sprint event) winner and Rio Olympics hopeful sprinter Mitchell Williams showed his fellow wide receivers a clean pair of heels, completing the 40-yard dash in 4.376 seconds, and the agility test in 4.454 seconds to beat all comers.
Competition was tight among running backs, where Jack Marton put up an impressive 4.834 second 40-yard dash and 6.885 second 3-cone drill, just shading Austin Otis who had traveled from San Francisco to take part.
Four quarterbacks were eager to impress coaches with their arm strength and ability to place the ball, while the receivers proved that they have the ball handling skills and route-running intelligence to match their straight line speed.
Coaching staff impressed
The coaching staff were impressed with the ability of the local talent, particularly with the size and strength of the players on the defensive side of the ball, and believe many local players will be added to team rosters in the coming months.