STRENGTHS:

+ Skills
+ Explosive speed
+ Athleticism
+ Run-and-carry
+ Endurance
+ Hurt factor
+ Groundballs
+ Upside

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Contested work
- Aerial ability
- Scoreboard impact

The high level hurt factor that Nurse brings to the table cannot be denied. From her footballing abilities to her all-round athleticism, if you want a player to inflict maximum damage, then the Southport Sharks talent is near the top of the list. A lot of players either have her skills or explosiveness, but few have both, which makes her such a unique and valuable player for any side.

Tied to the Gold Coast Suns Academy, Nurse's ability to transition the ball from defence to attack - often taking multiple bounces in the process - is highly sought after by clubs. She takes hundreds of metres a game and can still hit targets going forward, with Nurse the designated distributor on offence. Teaming up well with Sunny Lappin, the pair really lead the charge for the Suns and Queensland with their speed and skill.

While Nurse did get a taste for life on the inside at times, she is far better suited to the outside where not only her run-and-carry comes into play, but her huge tank as well. She can run all day, and outwork opponents, getting back to win the ball, then driving it forward. Her consistency in finding the right spots to win the pill - and therefore lift her production rate which has been a key difference between last year and this season.

Nurse's athleticism placed her as one of the best in that area for the draft crop with her player performance rating (PPR) of 81.2 placing her ninth overall in the pool from the National and State Draft Combine testing. Considering her vertical jumps - which were good without being outstanding - were lower than her peers, she made up ground with top 10 finishes in all the running events.

Her 2km time-trial saw her clock 7:18 and finish second behind Queensland teammate Alannah Welsh. She also recorded the fastest 20m sprint of the local testers with 3.207 seconds, only beaten by the two Irish players who came over for the event. A ninth placed effort in the agility test further rounded out overall profile.

Nurse regards her groundballs as a key strength, and she is certainly very clean off the deck. She can pick it up at speed and burst away, then really tighten the screws on the opposition. She is so slick and damaging going inside 50, and now has no problems finding the ball. In the air, she is one who has improved, but can further develop, particularly when under pressure from an opponent. That, along with her contested game or inside ability should she develop into a midfielder, is another way to improve.

She is not afraid to go in hard and win the ball which is the first step, but is best suited on the outside where she can utilise her best strengths. If being nit-picky, Nurse can have a greater impact on the scoreboard, not kicking a goal for the Suns Academy or Queensland the last few seasons and just the three for the Sharks at QAFLW level.

But when it comes to players with Nurse's natural ability, there are few flaws and no major red flags in her game. She has moulded all of her traits together to really piece out a brilliant top-age season. While Gold Coast has its hands full with draft prospects in 2025, one has to think that the Suns will find a way to add the gifted winger to the club.