Sachi Syme has been one of the big improvers out of South Australia this year, and is another whose stocks have risen courtesy of the Croweaters’ success at the 2022 AFLW Under 18 Championships. Syme predominantly played as a midfielder for Norwood at SANFLW level, but has since added forward as a position to her repertoire, able to spend considerable time there, hit the scoreboard, then rotate through the middle when required.

Syme is a clean ball user, and whilst her  efficiency numbers were down at the AFLW Under 18 Championships, they do not tell the full story of what she is capable of. She earned All-Australian honours off the back of a terrific carnival, and just ticks a lot of boxes across the board. Along with the clean skills, she has a high work rate, a strong inside game, and great balance, where she can extract it from the stoppage or play out on a wing and move the ball in transition.

In terms of a couple of areas of improvement, Syme is best known for her short, more precise and clean passes, but is not the most penetrative of kicks. She can kick long, but it does not have the same range as her shorter passes, and her quick hit-ups to teammates are what help get her team on top. That, along with her explosiveness out of the contest knock her back slightly compared to some midfielders, but her clean skills - particularly by hand under pressure - maker her a very valuable player.

In terms of AFLW Draft prospects, Syme has a lot of terrific traits that will hold her in good stead for the future. She has the versatility to now play forward, and was already more than capable of starting at the centre bounces, or heading out to a wing. Throw in the fact that she hits targets consistently, and is so balanced, and Syme has a lot of upside, knowing how to play to her strengths.