A gusty competitor who thrives when the ball is there to be won, Mia Busch is the kind of player you want on your team. The dual Eastern Ranges best and fairest set the bar high coming into her top-age year, but signalled her intent with a record-breaking score of 17.8 in the NAB League Girls preseason yo-yo test. The rest was done on-field.

Having cut her teeth as a speedy half-back with terrific ball retention and rebounding skills, Busch also got her wish of spending more time in midfield this year. Able to play both on the inside or on a wing, the 18-year-old brought her typical competitiveness and combined it with enormous running power to become an apt accumulator, line-breaker, and clearance winner.

At 166cm, her best position seems to be behind the ball. As Vic Metro teammate Jasmine Fleming testified, Busch is a nightmare to play against and almost impossible to beat one-on-one. She reads the play well and gets to aggressive positions to intercept, committing herself to the contest either aerially or at ground level. With those traits, she can shut down dangerous smalls but also run rampant on the rebound.

Going forward, as one to push the limits, Busch may well still seek to become a midfielder at the next level. She has little trouble finding the ball and has the evasive tricks to find exits from congestion, but can become a touch more effective with her disposal. Tending to put boot to ball and compound her metres gained, Busch's improvement will come from adding polish to those touches under pressure and better utilising her opposite foot to become more efficient.

As an overall package, recruiters will love the character Busch offers as a professional type who seeks to get the best out of herself. Her athletic traits, blending speed and endurance, allow her to get involved wherever the play goes and make her a well-rounded prospect who can be relied upon to perform each week.