As the premiership season closes, a fresh start approaches for the 2014 National Draft contenders.

At the annual Draft Combine at Etihad Stadium, senior coaches, recruiters, list managers and media watch the next batch of young talent vying for the limited places on an AFL list.

Although working year round to track the young football talent across the country, Richmond’s recruiting staff use the Combine as their final opportunity to see the next AFL stars in action.

During the four days of the Combine, the draft potentials are taken through their paces, tested on strength, speed, skill and agility, as well as being interviewed by AFL clubs.

“The interview process is probably the most important part of the Combine for us,” Richmond Recruitment Officer Matt Clarke told Roar Vision.

“We’ve sent out surveys to about 100 kids throughout the year, so they’ve answered a lot of the questions. 

“We go over a lot of that data and come to the Combine prepared to ask kids about their family, how are they going to survive if they have to move interstate, where would they like to live, those types of things.

“We get to see how they approach the testing, we obviously get the results, but how they go about it, do they really want to have a go and really want to perform when the pressure’s on them?”

Clarke simplified the complexities of Richmond’s recruiting philosophy by explaining that while talent is key, good character is also essential to fit in as a player at the Richmond Football Club.

“It’s probably a simple thing - we want to get good players, but we want to get good people in our football club, as well as good players,” he said.

“Good people in good football clubs, make great football clubs.”