Some potential future Bulldog stars were given a chance to strut their stuff at VU Whitten Oval this week.

While the official AFL and AFLW Combines were being held at Marvel Stadium for current draft hopefuls, the Bulldogs hosted a selection of its Next Generation Academy (NGA) and future father-son candidates for a day of physical testing and bonding activities.

Victoria University helped facilitate the testing, which included some of the same assessments being run at the AFL combines.

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After a morning of physical activity, the group was taken to the ASICS flagship store in Melbourne and fitted with a brand-new pair of runners.

“The Next Generation Academy is a new initiative by the AFL, that’s been introduced over the last couple of years to assist in the talent and player pathway for kids of all backgrounds between the age of 11-15,” said Bulldogs’ NGA Manager Dave Newton.

“More specifically, (the program works towards) identifying and developing Indigenous kids and multicultural kids from culturally diverse backgrounds.

“They’re doing a whole range of testing which is consistent with the AFL Draft Combine.  It gives them a bit of an opportunity to experience that form of testing.”

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Next Generation Academy participant Cooper Craig-Peters said he relished the opportunity to test himself against other future draft aspirants.

“My favourite thing is coming down and meeting a lot of the boys that I haven’t seen in a long time; having the opportunity to bond together and having fun through the testing,” he said.

“It hits you as soon as you walk through the door (at Whitten Oval).  You’re training, and you see a lot of AFL players.

“You’ve grown up watching them and you want to be like them.  To be in an environment where they have trained and still are training, it’s amazing.”