WITH some phenomenal test results at last month's NAB AFL Combine, West Perth speedster Brad Hill was the talk of the AFL recruiting scene.

There was no other way to describe his performance overt those three days at Etihad Stadium other than to say he smashed it.

He broke the beep test record with a score of 16.1 and his 9:52 was the fastest in the 3 kilometre time trial. He finished in the top 10 at the 30-metre repeat sprint test and his 2.88 seconds in the 20 metre sprint was among the top five fastest.

Clubs that had paid Hill, the brother of emerging Fremantle midfielder Stephen, only scant attention before the combine were putting serious time into him afterwards.

He ended up at Hawthorn with pick No.33 on Thursday night at the NAB AFL Draft, the first player selected by the Hawks. But according to Hawthorn list manager Graham wright, the combine results were only told part of the story and was therefore only part of the attraction.

"He really improved in the second half of the year," Wright told AFL.com.au.

"His testing was outstanding and yes, we loved that side of it, but we thought he really improved as the second half of the year went on.

"He averaged 22 or 23 possessions in the second half of the year compared to 17 or 18 in the first half. We saw in the championships he gets to the right spots a lot but he needs to start commanding the footy a bit more and he acknowledged that when we interviewed him."

The Hawks didn't deliberate for long before selecting Hill. Because they entered the draft so late, they took a wait-and-see approach. They weren't really committed to the best available player, or a particular need. They waited it out and made their call accordingly.

But the anticipation of what Hill could bring to the wide expanses of the MCG or the deep wings at Aurora Stadium will fascinate the Hawks and their supporters over the next few seasons.

"We certainly wanted another player who could come in and offer some outside speed, but we don't expect Bradley to play straight away. He's only 72kg and he needs to put some weight on," Wright said.

The Talia brothers will also be on opposing sides in 2012. Daniel is entering his third season with Adelaide, while brother Michael is now a key defensive prospect for the Western Bulldogs.

It is a homecoming of sorts for Michael because their grandfather, Harvey Stevens, was a premiership player for the Bulldogs in 1954.

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs