STRENGTHS:

- Balanced ball-winning
- Clearances
- Kicking
- Footy IQ
- Consistency
- Ground balls

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Athleticism
- Endurance

PROFILE:

Turner Funk is one of only a handful of over-age prospects who earned an AFLW Draft Combine invite in 2023. After showing promising signs last season, the balanced midfielder pieced together a strong season and showcased her traits, as well as some areas of improvement. Though she might not be a guarantee to be picked up, the over-ager has strengths that will ensure clubs keep close tabs on her.

The Swans Academy midfielder is a clever player who uses the ball well by hand or foot, and can win it inside or outside. Her ability to read the ball off hands at the stoppages and then either dish off or weight a kick nicely to the outside was an area of her game that shone this season. Though not a massive ball-winner, Turner Funk can find her own ball and averaged over 16 disposals both for the Swans and Allies.

For a midfielder, Turner Funk is quite strong in the air, averaging 3.7 marks per game at the AFLW Under 18 Championships. She uses her stronger frame well, and though she is 165cm, is capable overhead. Furthermore, her clean hands at ground level enable her to impact when under pressure and feed it out to teammates.

Given those strengths alone, it is no surprise that Turner Funk is in the draft picture. However, the main knock on the 2004-born talent is in her athletic data. Her agility is okay and she can be evasive through traffic, but her speed and endurance are areas to still develop. Ranking average in both areas in the preseason, she has to build up those facets of her game in order to align with many modern midfielders, particularly from an endurance standpoint.

Though her athleticism is an area to enhance, Turner Funk still recorded an above average vertical leap which speaks to her aerial presence around the ground. That, coupled with her natural footy IQ and skills mean there is less of a focus on her footballing ability for clubs that look to her as a possible draft prospect.

Overall, Turner Funk has an array of on-field traits that can fit into a variety of playstyles. If clubs overlook what she can't do and focus on what she can do, then there is a player they can work with going forward.