ON TUESDAY and Wednesday, 36 of the nation's top young female footballers will take part in the NAB AFL Women's Draft Combine in Melbourne.

But what tests are actually involved, and what's the rationale for holding the combine?

The Combine sees players undergo a combination of physical and footy skills testing, along with interviews with prospective clubs ahead of the NAB AFL Women's Draft on October 23.

Click here for profiles of the 36 invitees

Physical assessments involve tests for agility, running vertical leap, standing vertical jump, a 20-metre sprint, a two-kilometre time trial and the relatively recent addition of the yo-yo test, which focuses on repeat running efforts.

The NAB AFLW Academy high performance manager Hannah Squires said the physical tests are designed to replicate the actions seen on a football field.

"The vertical jump can be a measure of a player's ability to jump to get a mark over an opponent, for instance," Squires said.

"In terms of agility, can they change direction at quick speed to get around or fend off a player?"

The yo-yo test replaced the beep test last year as the interval test of choice. It measures aerobic fitness (or running capacity) and a player's ability to run at relatively high speeds with shorts breaks in the middle.

"Football's a stop-start sport, you're not running flat out all the time. The yo-yo is a better test of the type of running players do in football," Squires said.

"Players get a bit of a run-up, run hard, then walk to a particular point, then run again. The speed at which you have to run increases at particular levels, so it's similar to the beep test, but is a lot more realistic to the game of football."

The physical tests are complemented by skill testing, including kicking drills. Anthropometric measurements are also taken, which relate to the size and strength of the body, including height, weight and arm-span.

"The combine is about working out what (players') footballing strengths and weaknesses are and then looking at what type of athlete they are, which is where the physical tests come in," she said.

"Together, you have a really good idea of how well-rounded the player is, including their raw skills, technique and potential to improve. Throw in the interviews and you get an understanding of the person they are, too."

In the lead-up to this week, Squires has been working closely with the 20 Academy members who have been invited to the Combine.

"I gave them a seven-week program. It starts generalised, based on fitness, and then becomes specific to the testing, with some running and cross-training sessions and some power work in the gym," she said.

"We send the program to their states, and then their strength and conditioning coach takes it from there," she said.

"We just make sure the girls are constantly supported, that they know they can best prepare themselves without feeling overwhelmed. I've kept in contact with them over the seven weeks to make sure they're okay.

"You have to put it in perspective for them. They've got so many challenges and the messages I get back are, 'I'm really nervous, school's been really hectic'.

"You can only do what you can do and try your best. They're very remarkable young women, that's for sure."

Vic Metro midfielder Maddie Prespakis has been dominating the junior levels for years, representing her state in under-18 carnivals since she was 15, and now gets her chance to demonstrate her skills ahead of the draft.

"It's pretty exciting to think there is a pathway for us now and we can actually be part of this Combine, so I'm very excited [for myself] and all the other girls here," Prespakis said on Tuesday morning.

"I'm very thankful that it's happened to us and we have the exact same opportunities and experiences the boys have."

Queensland ruck Lauren Bella said the Combine was a somewhat daunting experience.

"I've been looking forward to this week, but I'm starting to feel the nerves now," Bella said.

"It's a pretty big stadium (the players are being tested at Marvel Stadium at Docklands), there's lots of tests and people as well, but at the end of the day, we're all just here to show what we've got and try our best.

"The vertical jump is always one I've done alright at, but I'm terrified for all the other tests," the 188cm Bella said with a laugh.