STRENGTHS:

+ Agility
+ Decision making
+ Kicking
+ Poise
+ Upside
+ Versatility

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Ground balls
- Work rate

Ison is an archetypal prospect in many ways - tall, reasonably athletic, and versatile. He also has the skills to match, with kicking central to his impact on games. The left-footer is a punishing ball user on the attack, often working into dangerous launch zones and hitting targets heading inside 50. The prime example of that style was his performance in a heavy loss to South Australia, picking off assists for three of Vic Metro's five goals in the wet.

The Carlton NGA prospect is also accustomed to executing inboard passes and exhibits great poise in possession. Whether stepping through traffic or biding time to find the right option, Ison has a great radar to pick apart opposition defences. His agility lends to that kind of play, able to stop and prop before making his decision. He often makes the right choice, too.

While he settled as a midfielder-forward, Ison can play in just about any position. His ball use and height are dangerous at either end of the ground, while he has found the goals quite regularly. Ison is also clean on the inside where his size is difficult to combat. In the latter part of the season, he proved he could provide a physical presence on-ball and applied himself well with an average of 4.5 tackles per game. His knack for scoring from forward 50 stoppages was another handy asset.

He offers great balance in that sense, able to get it done at the source while continually proving a threat with time and space on the outside. Ison found his way out of the Vic Metro side for their third game, against the Allies, partly due to work rate. His endeavour and willingness to cover ground improved substantially after that point, leading to more consistent, high-production games.

Other areas where Ison has sought to improve are his contested ground balls - tick - and marking. His length and range will likely make him an aerial threat, particularly if he can double as a third tall utility or wingman. Part of finding his groove in the back-end of the year can be put down to an early-season injury. Much like in 2024, he got better as the year wore on and can continue to develop that durability aspect. At his best, he can be a game-changer and you want to give those players as much opportunity as possible.