Flying under the radar due to a number of interruptions this year, Emily Elkington is arguably the best kick in the AFLW Draft crop. Standing at just 157cm, Elkington certainly proves that if you are good enough, you are tall enough, and she packs a punch. Averaging nine tackles per game at the AFLW Under 18 Championships, Elkington cracks in with consistency to throw herself at anything she can win. Then, when given the opportunity to dispose of it, the Claremont talent hardly misses a target.

To watch Elkington’s kicking ability in full flight is a treat, with her technique, weighting, vision and decision making all coming to the fore. She is not someone who has explosive speed necessarily, but being shorter and smarter, she can evade opponents by assessing the situation quickly. Her contested work along with her potency with ball-in-hand makes her a terrific addition to any AFLW club.

Like any AFLW Draft prospect, Elkington still has areas to work on. While her disposal is a treat, it would be even better if she could find more of it. Averaging around the low teens as a consistent type of effort each week, the amount of damage Elkington could do lifting that to 18-20 touches per week would be something else. The other area of improvement is hitting the scoreboard, having just kicked the one goal at WAFLW level despite spending time forward when not in the midfield rotation.

Elkington is the player you want the ball in the hands of anywhere on the ground. Regardless of the situation and pressure she is under, the Claremont teenager just makes the right decisions and is able to hit targets with precisions in dangerous spots. Though many might be too worried to hit that 45-degree kick into the corridor, Elkington does it with ease and is a natural, modern footballer with upside.