STRENGTHS:

+ Explosive speed
+ Endurance
+ Clearances
+ Versatility
+ Run-and-carry
+ Defensive pressure

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Kicking consistency
- Scoreboard impact

PROFILE:

Williamson has plenty of weapons which she draws from, none less so than her explosive speed off the mark. Starting her career as a half-back, Williamson gradually worked her way up the ground and this year really cemented herself as a midfielder who could even rest forward. Her clearance work went up a notch and she became well-rounded as an inside-outside ball-winner.

The Stingrays midfielder was named Vic Country co-captain and it was easy to see why, finishing the tournament as All-Australian and one of the more prolific players throughout the three games. What really stepped up for Williamson was in her short kicking, which noticeably had work compared to last year and even earlier in the year.

Previously, she would blaze away and bomb the ball forward, or just get boot to ball in any fashion. In 2023, she was adjusting her style that, while still a little stiff in terms of its approach, worked far more favourably with short passes that either hit targets or went in the right region. Her kicking - particularly longer distances - can still improve, but it went from a major deficiency to an improvement area which is credit to her hard work.

By hand, Williamson is able to dish off quickly, and is not afraid to draw an opponent and then release a teammate into space. When teaming up with ruck Elli Symonds at the Stingrays, Williamson read the taps well and often got first hands to it. When she didn't, or Symonds took it out of the ruck, Williamson was buzzing around to be the second possession winner and use her speed to extract it out of the contest.

Williamson is not just an offensive player either, she brings as much defensive pressure as she does offensive flair. Her production rate doubled this year, but so did her tackling pressure, where she lifted from 2.5 tackles to 5.1 per game for the Stingrays. Her 20.9 disposals per game far eclipsed her 9.9 from her bottom-age season, and while she did have a more prominent ball-winning role in 2023, showed just how much she had developed.

Her ability to play in multiple positions is also a tick, with her time spent at half-back and on a wing, along with her inside work and resting forward showcasing that fact. The one knock in that regard might be her scoreboard impact, with Williamson only kicking the three goals in her 14 Talent League games. That being said, her consistency was undeniable as she hardly played a bad game.

Williamson will be a highly sought after prospect in this year's AFLW Draft, because aside from that final finishing, she just about ticks every box. Her clearance work as a first and second possession winner went up, as did her offensive drive, defensive pressure and natural leadership. All in all, it was a really successful season for Williamson who was a late out in Round 1, but found form after Round 3.