BulldogsBulldogsMidfielder, Key Forward

#13

Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner

height: 178cm

weight:

D.O.B: 01-07-2005

Leagues: AFLW, Coates Talent League Girls, AFLW U18 Championships

  • Snapshot
  • Analysis
  • Summary

SNAPSHOT:

Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner is undoubtedly one of the most exciting players in the 2023 AFLW Draft crop. Of all the high upside players, Weston-Turner perhaps has the greatest growth of the group, having missed time this year due to injury, and still growing into her size and fully utilising her athletic gifts to the maximum advantage. Generally utilised as a forward, the 178cm talent has rare attributes, and while she is still developing, her ability is undeniable.

STRENGTHS:

+ Explosive speed
+ Evasion
+ Aerial ability
+ X-Factor
+ Upside
+ Kicking penetration

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Composure
- Set shot consistency

PROFILE:

Weston-Turner will have one of the best AFLW Draft highlight packages going around. The way she can duck and weave, turn on a dime and explode away, it is almost unheard of from a player of her size. At 178cm, Weston-Turner can equally beat players in the air, or at ground level, including opponents who are smaller and in theory, should be quicker. Except the Western Jets premiership star defies those expectations.

From an athletic base, Weston-Turner is one of the most athletically gifted players, and in fact, based off her Physical Performance Rating from the AFLW Draft Combine testing, Weston-Turner scored an 0.93, the highest of anyone on the day. Her vertical jumps and 20m sprint fell into the 'elite' category, with her agility rated 'very good'.

Luckily for Weston-Turner regarding these traits of explosive speed, aerial ability and evasion, she actually shows them on the field. Quite often players will test well and not always utilise their athleticism, but Weston-Turner does just that. Her leading patterns are quick, she gets her hands to the ball and once it hits the deck, she is away in a split second.

If Weston-Turner gets goalside, it is near goodnight for any opposition defenders trying to stop her, with her five-metre split time ranking second among the Victorian AFLW Draft Combine players. It means her first couple of steps are as quick as anyone going around, and that is when she will burn off any would-be tacklers. Even if confronted, Weston-Turner is comfortable stepping back and evading an opponent as well.

When it comes to her ball use, Weston-Turner is still developing her craft, particularly when setting her sights on goal. Like any raw, developing forward, the Jets star can kick Goal of the Year, but also miss some fairly gettable chances. Her 1.4 for Vic Metro against Vic Country attests to that fact, with a few attempts on the run, and one from a set shot.

With a touch more composure and set shot consistency, Weston-Turner could convert those chances into more goals, and that finishing aspect is her main area to build upon. In fact, sometimes Weston-Turner can also be too unselfish, and give off the ball to a teammate when she has every right to go for goal. Her most famous goal from a Western Jets perspective came last year where, with some help from the breeze and a favourable bounce, Weston-Turner nailed one from the centre circle at Mars Stadium.

Outside of her athletic traits, Weston-Turner's powerful kick, along with her evident upside and natural X-Factor all make her a super prospect. Having missed a chunk of the season due to a broken wrist, it was evident upon her return just how capable she was, and while her consistency could improve, her impact on games in undeniable.

SUMMARY:

Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner is an obvious first round prospect, and in our eyes, a clear top 10 talent. She has her ups and downs in terms of consistency and that composure, but on ceiling alone, she is a rare talent. Clubs will likely jostle up the order to get in a position to secure a tall in a draft where there are more smalls than talls.

Strengths
Aerial ability
Evasion
Explosiveness
Kicking penetration
Speed
Upside
X-Factor
Improvements
Composure
Set shot goalkicking

AFLW

SeasonTeamKHBDMCPUPTHOCLRI50R50GLGMKHDMHOTGDC
2024Bulldogs000000000000000000000
Total-000000000000000000000

Coates Talent League Girls

SeasonTeamKHBDMCPUPTHOCLRI50R50GLGMKHDMHOTGDC
2021Western Jets000000000000000000000
2022Western Jets443074140044801909104.43.07.41.40.84.40.933
2023Western Jets2638648001710121455.27.612.81.60.23.40.846
Total-70681382200619031113154.74.59.21.50.64.10.979

AFLW U18 Championships

SeasonTeamKHBDMCPUPTHOCLRI50R50GLGMKHDMHOTGDC
2023Vic Metro Girls116173108000201111.06.017.03.00.00.01.064
Total-116173108000201111.06.017.03.00.00.01.064
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