STRENGTHS:

+ Explosive speed
+ Run-and-carry
+ Production
+ Footy IQ
+ Consistency
+ Kicking
+ Offensive impact

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Defensive pressure
- Strength

PROFILE:

It is difficult to know where to start when it comes to Sara Howley and her strengths. From an athleticism perspective, Howley is explosively quick, while also having great awareness to evade opponents when in full flight. Though she does not test as well as someone with her explosive speed should, it goes to show that Howley gets up to top speed when already in motion rather than at a standing start over the first few metres.

Once she gets going, she is gone, and is clearly one of the quickest players in the draft crop, with her ability to transition from defence to offence in the blink of an eye - usually winning multiple possessions in the process - is sensational. A predominant second possession winner, Howley's gamestyle went to another level at the national carnival.

Though her dominant means of winning possession is via handball receives - as shown through the Coates Talent League Girls where she won 47.2 per cent of her possessions via the method and 34.7 per cent via groundballs - that all changed when she donned the 'Big V'. In a star-studded midfield, Howley played a huge team role often winning a fair chunk of first-possession football and getting more in at the coalface.

Her contested possession rate rose from 42.2 for the Falcons, to 55.8 per cent for Vic Country. Along with that, her groundballs and handball receive rates switched, instead winning 41.9 per cent of her possessions off the deck, and just 33.7 per cent by hand. While it might seem like a lot of numbers to comprehend, essentially, Howley won similar amount of touches at both levels, but showed her first-possession game at the national championships.

It helps that the talented midfielder is a smart footballer who uses the ball well. She can kick the ball long, but is predominantly one to chip kick on short, sharp angles and prioritise ball retention. She then buys time to run forward, receive it back then drive the ball long or release a teammate by hand after drawing an opponent.

Her offensive output is sensational, and even her defensive running - which at times was a little hit and miss over the last 18 months - improved throughout her top-age season. Howley's main areas of improvement lie in her strength and defensive pressure still, with her tackling numbers very solid across the board, but her intent can still got to another level, which will also help with greater strength, especially against bigger-bodied AFLW players.

As a whole, for production and consistency, few have been able to accomplish what Howley has over the past three seasons, and particularly two. Despite setting a high bar for herself off a glittering bottom-age campaign, Howley went to another level particularly in her gamestyle and looms as a good choice for a club in the Top 10.