STRENGTHS:

+ Competitiveness
+ Reading the play
+ Intercept marking
+ One-on-ones
+ Penetrating kick
+ Consistency

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Kicking precision
- Endurance

PROFILE:

Mackenzie Williams is a player who has a well-rounded game with some clear strengths, and evident improvements that the talented Tasmanian has honed in on improving once at the top level. A tall defender who is perhaps slightly undersized compared to others at 171cm, Williams is ultra-competitive and can punch above her size thanks to her strength and one-on-one ability.

Williams is able to play both an offensive rebounding role from the back half of the ground just as easily as looking to negate an opposition defender. While unlikely to fill that number one defender role, she can certainly play as that third tall who has the smarts and understanding to peel off her opponent and give a chop out to her teammates, or float across to clunk some strong marks.

Even from the age of 15 it was evident Williams was a strong mark. She has averaged 3.8 marks across her 38 games in the Coates Talent League Girls and AFLW Under 18 Championships. She provides the defensive pressure both in the air and at ground level to force the ball to ground if she does not mark it, then often thumps the pill clear a mile down the ground.

Her ranging right foot kick can travel a good 50m from full-back, often able to clear the ball to the defensive side of the wing when kicking out, or past the zoning half-forwards from the opposition. The precision of said kicks could certainly improve, with that element of fundamentals being a key area of improvement for the defender. At times she can boot the ball for distance rather than accuracy, but on occasions that can pay off anyway. However, tightening up that aspect of her game will only make her a better player.

Athletically, Williams is not an explosive player, but she is powerful, and when she takes the ball on the move, can reach a decent top speed that is as much about power and strength as it is about speed. As a defender, her lower athletic profile does not hinder her game as she often dictates the way she moves whether it is kicking it out from full-back, or receiving the handball and kicking it long down the field.

A super competitive player wherever she plays and at any level, Williams is not afraid to scrap to win the ball in any situation. The Tasmanian reads the play incredible well, can clunk intercept marks and then consistently provide rebound out of the back half to start scoring chains turning defence into offence.

While her aerobic capacity is another element she is looking to work on in order to further impact for longer, Williams as a whole has a nice foundational base for clubs to look at going forward. Her stint playing midfield was one the Tasmanian enjoyed, and would like to pursue in the future, though a role as an intercepting and rebounding defender is where Williams will find herself to start at the top level.