TWO players who have enjoyed impressive starts to the 2023 season, but were outside the initial Victorian talent hubs are Calder Cannons’ Sarah Grunden and Greater Western Victoria (GWV) Rebels’ Lily Jordan.

In this first article of our brand new Compare the Pair series, we take a look at either top-age forward, outlining their similarities, differences and overall profiles.

STATISTICS

Sarah Grunden	vs	Lily Jordan
25/02/2005	DOB	29/06/2005
168cm	Height	164cm
Forward	Position	Forward
7	Talent League Games	10
6	Talent League Goals	14
13.6	Disposals (ave)	11.8
2.1	Marks (ave)	1.2
3.4	Inside 50s (ave)	3.2
5.0	Tackles (ave)	5.1
17	Power Rankings (July rank)	25

STRENGTHS

Sarah Grunden

+ Foot skills
+ Goal sense
+ Defensive pressure
+ Vision
+ Upside

Grunden’s strength focus around her natural footballing abilities such as her skill by foot, goal sense and vision. She is able to hit-up targets inside 50 with ease and when within range can kick some outstanding goals, or nail that 45-degree kick into the corridor to a teammate in space. She has not kicked as many goals as Jordan, but has also spent large portions further afield.

Averaging five tackles per game, Grunden does provide pressure around the ball which is important for a forward, and particularly when rolling up at the stoppages. She has that additional upside given she is a well-rounded athletic prospect without being elite in any one area. With further development, she has the potential to add other weapons to her game.

Lily Jordan

+ Clean hands
+ Goal sense
+ Endurance
+ Scoreboard impact
+ Defensive pressure

Jordan has outstanding endurance, ranked in the top eight per cent nationally during the preseason – an area she has worked hard on. It’s a great trait to have alongside her incredibly clean hands at ground level and natural goal sense. The Rebels forward is a player who does not stray too far from goal, but usually does a lot of damage on the scoreboard.

Similar to Grunden, when Jordan is not kicking goals, she is laying plenty of tackles, which really caught the eye when the Rebels were struggling on the scoreboard. She brings the heat and can lock the ball inside 50, and considering she plays a deeper role than Grunden, is one who can impact the game defensively as well as offensively.

IMPROVEMENTS

Sarah Grunden

– Midfield craft
– Consistency

Grunden has been an incredible player in the forward half of the ground and earned Vic Metro honours for her strong start to the season. She still has up and down games as you would expect with a forward, while her impact inside 50 is far greater than that of her on-ball role. Though she was still able to fill a role in the Cannons midfield, she did not have as much impact there.

Lily Jordan

– Speed
– Versatility

The biggest knock on Jordan’s game will be her speed for a small, as she has some fantastic natural ability and is powerful, but lacks that explosive speed that others in her position possess. Additionally, she has been pidgeonholed as that small forward, so only has the one consistent role to base form off.

STYLES OF PLAY

Grunden can play both as a lead-out forward and a crumber, but is more suited to the former as she can read the play well and get into good positions. More often than not, she holds a high line, and is more likely to win the ball around the 50m mark and deliver inside 50. Her clean hands overhead hold her in good stead.

Jordan is definitely more of a crumbing forward, with her hands at ground level the standout feature. She reads the ball off hands so well and can create havoc off a clever snap or lightning quick handball. Though she can still provide a leading target, being that slightly smaller forward without that explosive pace, her best work is done in assessing the play and reacting quicker than her opponents.

DISPOSAL/DECISION MAKING

Grunden is the more consistent and potent field kick of the two, particularly when it comes to angles and making the right decisions. She can hold up play for a split second and deliver to a target, and though there is still area for improvement, her disposal and decision making would still be well above average.

Most of Jordan’s disposals come inside 50 so are mostly under pressure or aimed as score involvements. Her ability to kick some clever goals with minimal time really stands out, but she can tend to rush the odd kick inside 50. Though she puts it into dangerous positions – indicating sound decision making skills – her consistency by foot could still improve. When given time and space, she can do a lot of damage though.

SUMMARY

Grunden is a player who has come on in leaps and bounds of late, and has already played two Vic Metro matches. Against the Allies, she picked up eight disposals, two marks and booted 1.2, while laying four tackles. The game against South Australia was a lot tougher for the top-ager, with just the three touches for one behind.

Vic Country is yet to kick off its AFLW Under 18 campaign, but Jordan has already gained experience in the Under 23 All-Stars match, as well as the Victorian trials. She knows where the goals are and has improved rapidly in 2023 to put herself in the draft frame this year.