STRENGTHS:

+ Aerial ability
+ Athleticism
+ Work rate
+ Marking
+ Ground balls
+ Upside

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Kicking
- Fundamentals

PROFILE:

Cleaver is a naturally gifted athlete who has also shared her time between both football and netball. One of Western Australia's rising stars across both sports, the 181cm talent is hoping to land a contract in the Suncorp Super Netball (SSN), particularly at home with the West Coast Fever.

Along with her netball aspirations, she wants to chase her AFL Women's dream, with a focus on remaining in Western Australia to juggle both her sporting commitments. A massive West Coast Eagles fan, Cleaver has a lot of tricks to her trade, with her aerial ability, marking and groundball work among her big strengths.

Starting with her athleticism, Cleaver is strong in her leap and able to take the ball above her head consistently, including in contested and uncontested situations. Often taller than most, and certainly more athletic, she is hard to beat in the air. What complicates the situation more for an opponent is, even with a clinical spoil, the contest is not yet done.

Once the ball hits the deck, Cleaver is efficient at ground level, and just as mobile as any opponent, able to scoop it up and dish it off to running teammates or set the play up with a downfield kick. That skill execution side of her game is still her main area of improvement, with Cleaver developing her technique by foot both up the field and when lining up for goal.

Cleaver's work rate is a nice point of difference for a tall who can be so proficient in the air, with her contest-to-contest work another strength to her game. That, along with her balance of aerial and ground work makes her a threat across the field, and she can do a lot of damage through the middle and forward thirds.

Netball commitments have limited her to just one game in each of the AFLW Under 18 Championships, with 11 disposals, three marks, six hitouts and a goal in 2022, and 19 disposals, four tackles and three clearances this year. Funnily enough in the latter edition she did not take a mark but found a stack of the football, playing more of a ground level role at the stoppages.

It would not be unusual if Cleaver even developed into a mobile tall midfielder given her speed off the mark and clean hands at ground level. One of the most promising talls in the crop, few can do what she can once the ball goes to ground.

Though her kicking and overall fundamentals of the game can still improve, her upside for clubs is evident. Given her desire to remain in Western Australia, it limits the draft pool to two clubs, but both will likely be keen to keep an eye on a player who has the potential to explode at the elite level.