STRENGTHS:

+ Intercept marking
+ Athleticism
+ Aerial ability
+ Versatility
+ Kicking
+ Footy IQ

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Ground balls
- Reading the play

PROFILE:

Poppy Scholz stands at 179cm, so a little shorter than her sister, but has far greater versatility having played off half-back, up forward, on a wing or even through the ruck. Her mobility allows Scholz to play against tall and small players, with her athleticism the main part of her game.

She leaps incredibly high, can clunk grabs with ease, and even if the ball hits the deck, has the speed for a tall that enables her to win it and take off. She backs herself more often than not, and while not what you would call explosive like a Havana Harris, Scholz is still very quick for a player of her size, and in terms of her transitional running, gets involved frequently.

Her aerial ability which translates both down back and up forward - as well as her natural jump where she can compete in the ruck despite usually being a few centimetres shorter than her opponent - is where she shines. However while being athletic is the feature of her game, it is far from her only strength.

Scholz uses the ball well by hand or foot and is a lovely user. While some talls might be a little bit clunky in their action, the Glenelg top-ager is smooth and looks natural when disposing of it, particularly over long distances where she can consistently hit targets.

Furthermore, Scholz's footy IQ stands out particularly with ball in hand, showing a nice combination of smarts, vision and decision making to execute consistently. It adds an extra layer to her game and allows her to impact offensively as well as defensively. Her ability to hit those riskier 45-degree kicks stands out for a player of her size.

When looking at a couple of improvements, Scholz could further develop her work at ground level. Such a dominant aerial player, she can improve her work below her knees even though she already has the mobility. It was a key area of improvement identified by Scholz early in the year, and she can continue to work on it over the off-season and into the new year.

Another area Scholz has targeted as a way of building her game is reading the play more effectively from defence. She is able to clunk the ball consistently and then use it well once she has it, but is still getting used to getting into the right spots to do it consistently particularly when looking to nullify an opponent at the same time.

Going forward, Scholz will only get better and learn plenty of tricks to help her be more effective in a range of areas. Given her smarts and athleticism already, she is looming as one who will be a player to watch at the elite level in whatever position she plays.