AFTER a frustrating bottom-age year that was impacted by an ankle injury, Murray Bushrangers forward Eliza Roche put in a power of work over the off-season to emerge stronger and better for it, and that work showed throughout the 2026 season.

Roche’s draft-age season saw the Vic Country representative not only don the ‘Big V’ but also earn a National Draft Combine invite, and blitz both the agility and 20-metre sprint physical tests with a first and second result respectively. But rewinding to the start of the year, it was a mere dream to be in the position she is today.

“Obviously going on from last season, few injuries and that and basically just surviving the season,” Roche said. “Went back and straight away after the games I went into rehab and with my ankle and with my personal trainer Tim Madden and just worked on that. I did isometric work and got into speed and strength, just getting that ankle right.

“I went into Bushies preseason training and then just smashed it out in there aiming to be right for this season because I knew this was an important year for me and I knew I was a bit behind and had a lot of catching up to do.”

Fast forward to the end of the year and Roche said the extra muscle she added as well as increasing both her physical and mental strength was a big positive.

“I just feel like it’s been an amazing season and I feel like I’ve had a really strong season,” she said. “Especially with nationals, I believe I had good games.”

While she has become known as that hard-running pressure small forward, Roche said she is more than capable of filling out other roles such as midfield or on the wing, but enjoyed her high half-forward position.

“I would have liked to have also been a bit of wing at times, I do feel like though as a forward flank a lot of my role was to be an extra wing/mid, especially in the Bushrangers,” she said. “But when playing forward, I love running up the ground then running back deep and having a few shots on goal as well.”

As for her main focus over the off-season, it’s a case of getting “back to basics” when it comes to her aerial work, which though not neccessarily a weakness, was a facet of her game that she noticed had “dropped off a little bit” in the back half of the season.

“Definitely at the end of the season my marking had dropped off a little bit,” she said. “I’ve got a good vertical jump, so I don’t know why, I wasn’t just marking them right. “Hopefully this preseason go back to the basics and work on that.”

The interview took place the day before her physical testing with Roche eyeing off a 20-metre sprint time of “between 3.2 and 3.3 seconds” and an agility time of “between 8.2 and 8.4 seconds”. In a jaw-dropping display, the Murray Bushrangers powered to a 3.126-second 20m sprint to finish second overall, before breaking the all-time agility record with 8.106 seconds.

Chatting with a lot of clubs during the Draft Combine, Roche was taken back by how accommodating they were with her situation which would involve relocating, and talking through potential options should she land at their club.

“These couple of days have been tough and long, but it’s been really good,” Roche said. “All the clubs are amazing and they all seem really supportive, especially with me moving away. Trying to accommodate and be supportive of my family and helping me even just finding a house would be nice.”

As for her first point of business if her name is called out in December’s AFLW Draft, Roche is still looking to put in the work to physically get up to scratch, while preparing for the biggest move of her life and getting engrained in the club’s culture.

“Obviously get a bit bigger, a few more pastas and see where that goes,” Roche said. “It would just be amazing to join a club wherever I go. “I’d be moving as a country girl, I know I’ll be moving whether it’s Melbourne or anywhere else, but I think I just want to just be with the girls and have an amazing connection with them all, but also just learn and develop and I’m always wanting feedback and wanting to be better, so I just want to go into AFLW and just try and play best as I can.”

DRAFT FEATURES:

New South Wales: Evie Bowie, Frances Walsh, Majella Day, Morgan Stevens
Queensland: Zoe Petrides, Summer Browning
South Australia: Emily Mableson, Emma Charlton
Vic Country: Greea McKeegan, Lily Milner
Vic Metro: Bailee Martin, Tayla Olivieri, Maddison Meagher, Brylee Anderson, Grace McIntyre
Western Australia: Lexi Strachan