STRENGTHS:

+ Aerial ability
+ Athleticism
+ Competitiveness
+ Follow-up work
+ Scoreboard impact
+ Vertical leap

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Four-quarter consistency
- Goalkicking accuracy

Gayfer's aerial prowess is what often catches the eye first, and central to that is his athleticism. With record-smashing vertical jump numbers and a highlight reel speccy which did the rounds this year, it's clear he can dominate opponents in the air before compounding his impact on the scoreboard.

While capable of presenting as a connection piece up the ground, arguably Gayfer's best work this year was done while playing a deeper role. Perhaps credit to having champion forward Anthony Rocca as coach at Northern, his bodywork and reading of the ball are outstanding, complimented by his ability to jump and extend overhead.

As the year wore on, Gayfer became increasingly reliable at sticking contested marks and taking the ball with one grab. He also has the mongrel and aggression required of key forwards, not afraid to throw himself into contests. At worst, he brings the ball to ground where he can recover and continue to impose himself physically.

Gayfer came into the year hoping to improve his ground ball game - consider that a success. Few key forwards can claim to follow up with as much intensity or success. The mobile tall chases hard and tackles with tenacity, utilising his blend of speed and power to bury opponents. He can make defenders panic in more ways than one.

Importantly, Gayfer is also a proven goalkicker. He earns opportunities via his aerial nous, but is just about equally prolific in open play and can even score from forward-50 ruck contests. In his 30-goal Talent League season, he managed a high of 6.3 and never went goalless, while booting multiple majors in nine of his 13 outings.

Despite regularly finding the goals, Gayfer also left plenty of chances on the table this year. His set shot accuracy can waver at times, while he tends to score in clumps and can be patchy across four quarters. He is often a fast starter and likes to get on the board early, as proven by his three opening-quarter goals against Vic Country.

Gayfer set up wins with such scoring surges. He kicked 5.3 in a 25-minute patch to help Northern kick away from GWV Rebels this year, while his three majors in the third term against South Australia put Vic Metro on track. He has game-winning abilities and the determination to break opponents down.

On top of all the phenomenal work he does as a key forward, Gayfer also showed glimpses of his upside with brief midfield stints in the back-end of the season. There, he used his pure size and aggression to impact at centre ball-ups. Many recruiters also believe he would be best suited to a role down back, which is less explored.