STRENGTHS:

+ Contested work
+ Defensive pressure
+ Penetrating kick
+ Leadership
+ Versatility
+ Strength

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Ground balls
- Endurance

PROFILE:

There are contested players, and then there is Laura Roy. At the AFLW Under 18 Championships, Roy had 40 possessions, of which 34 came in a contest - a ridiculous 85 per cent - at a disposal average of 12.3 per game. It is no surprise then, that Roy's best attributes all involve her strength and pressure around the coalface.

Roy is a player who will bring the heat, especially in a tackling sense, and hates losing one-on-ones. She averaged more than three tackles per match both for the Lions Academy in the Talent League, and Queensland at the national carnival. Her clearance work around the stoppages certainly stands out, and perhaps her main point of difference is her penetrating kick.

She can kick a long distance, which allows her to play both in defence and attack. At 171cm, Roy has had jobs on talls and smalls, and while athletically and strength-wise she is better suited to the taller players, Roy is always going to compete. Her defensive pressure not just in tackle numbers, but by putting her body on the line and doing all the team things is what endears her to players and coaching staff alike.

It is also what earned her the captaincy for the Lions Academy, where she looked up to players such as Shannon Campbell. Similarly, Roy can win more than her fair share of aerial contests, picking up 11 marks across her three Talent League games, and averaging a goal per game playing forward. That versatility - which saw her have stints on all three lines - makes her a valuable commodity for whichever clubs elects to pick her up.

In terms of her improvements, Roy herself said her endurance needed to get better, along with her ground balls. For an inside midfielder, her cleanliness at ground level is an area that could develop further, while her endurance improving would allow her to spend more time on-ball where she thrives. When outside the contest, Roy can still find the ball, but her strong frame and extraction techniques allow her to play at her best on the inside.

When looking at Roy, she is just an all-round solid footballer. Her inside work is superb, she has a crack and defensively she will hold up against all opposition. Though others might come with more bells and whistles as such, Roy is a player who will play the role set for her, and not have any qualms slotting in anywhere on the field.