STRENGTHS:

+ Agility
+ Clean hands
+ Composure
+ Decision making
+ Disposal efficiency
+ Vision

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Hurt factor
- Speed

Boosted by a growth spurt before his bottom-age season, Hustwaite now presents as a tall ball winner with high level stoppage craft. Though not as outwardly powerful as midfielders in the same mould at AFL level, his ability to navigate tight spots and manufacture clean exits is absolutely uncanny.

There are a few seperate, subtle traits which make Hustwaite so effective on-ball. First, he has the natural ball winning nous to rack up possessions, and is wonderfully clean in his handling. Once he gets ball in hand, Hustwaite is near-untouchable, fooling opponents with a deft shifts onto his left side, and knowing exactly where to release.

Though not particularly quick across the ground, Hustwaite has good agility to help him escape to the outside, or buy just enough time to find the right option. In those instances, and even while rotating to defence, his decision making is unflappable and disposal truly efficient.

Speaking of efficiency, Hustwaite ran at 73 per cent during this year's National Championships. He's a safe user of the ball, but may find improvement in enhancing his hurt factor. Hustwaite went by hand 62 per cent of the time this NAB League season, feeding teammates but perhaps limiting his ability to damage the opposition or hit the scoreboard.

Considering his size, that factor and his lack of real speed are a couple of areas which fly in the face of what recruiters have typically looked for in recent times. Nonetheless, Hustwaite's assets are valuable and his reliability makes him a relatively sound option.

A final point of contention with Hustwaite is his versatility. He proved himself as a distributive third tall defender early in the year, and though he has some improvements to make in his expansive kicking, has the aerial ability to play there. The question mark lies in his ability to go forward, with only one goal this season, but such terrific midfield craft that he arguably does not need to play anywhere else.