STRENGTHS:

+ Forward craft
+ Goal sense
+ Ground balls
+ Physicality
+ Scoreboard impact
+ Speed

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Defensive pressure
- Endurance
- Size

Having kicked 47 goals from 26 games for the Cannons across a two-year period, it’s without doubt that El Achkar knows where the goals are. When he hits the scoreboard, you know that it won’t be just on the one occasion. Instead, he'll be kicking multiple goals on multiple occasions.

His attributes make him a hard match up for his opponents and when he gets the ball around goal, he’ll either have a shot from any angle or put it in a dangerous position for a teammate to cause havoc and score - exhibiting his forward craft and creativity. There were also occasions in his two years with the Cannons where he didn’t hit the scoreboard, going through games goalless to highlight the fact he can improve his consistency.

When the ball hits the deck, El Achkar knows where to find the footy. On countless occasions off ruck contests or at the base of a pack, you could guarantee that El Achkar was there to rove with quick reflexes and speed off the mark to kick quick goals. This was highlighted on his VFL debut for Essendon where he quickly pounced on a spilt mark from an opponent to score. While he did have a quiet first half in that game, he hung in there to kick three majors in the second half, showcasing his resilience.

Throughout his time at the Cannons and in numerous representative fixtures, El Achkar also showed he could rotate between the forward line and the midfield, highlighting his versatility. In the final regular season game of 2024 against the Western Jets he would move into the midfield in the second half having already kicked four of his five goals that day, going on to provide excellent ground coverage.

While his strengths are well outlined, there are plenty of areas that El Achkar can make improvements to his game with, especially his output with his defensive pressure. Having averaged 3.3 tackles a game in 2024 with the Cannons, but that number was reduced to 1.9 per game in 2025 - albeit with less midfield time. If El Achkar can enhance this area of his game, it will hold him in good stead at the next level as it will make him an even more dangerous proposition for his opponents coming out of defence. 

There were also occasions that El Achkar has threatened to take a game apart with the Cannons. In the Round 3 game against the Northern Knights, El Achkar finished with 3.5, highlighting there is a need to improve his finishing. While the conditions didn’t quite help his cause that day with a few shots going wide or falling short, he often trained in those conditions and could look to better use his creativity to bring higher-percentage options into play.

While El Achkar's physicality for his size has seen himself hold up well against slightly bigger opponents, and despite boasting elite attributes, standing at 171cm will see him at a disadvantage if he is to make it at the next level, especially if he is to have stints during games as an inside midfielder.

As the season went on, El Achkar struggled to maintain his endurance across all four quarters in a game, which was highlighted in the Wildcard Round game against the Oakleigh Chargers where he only popped up with a flurry of late goals. There was also the last game of the regular season against the Northern Knights where he went quiet after he had a good start to the game, kicking three goals in the first quarter but being rarely sighted after that.

His room for improvement with regards to defensive pressure and endurance link directly to his consistency rating. If he can develop those facets of his game, it will go a long way to impacting games more regularly throughout four quarters - and not just in a scoring sense. It is imperative that small forwards apply pressure and are able to help connect the lines further afield.