STRENGTHS:

+ Production
+ Contested work
+ Defensive pressure
+ Consistency
+ Forward craft
+ Clearance ability
+ Footy IQ

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Polish
- Kicking under pressure

PROFILE:

If you are looking for a player with a high floor (their lowest point of production) then Sierra Grieves is the one that comes to mind. Even in her quieter outings, Grieves finds a way to impact, even if not for herself, but others. She makes her teammates better and walk taller around her, with that offensive and defensive balance of traits really coming to the fore.

The best way to describe Grieves is she has a well-rounded and deep group of strengths, and even her improvements are more tweaks than anything else. She does not have a major deficiency that impacts the way she plays, and quiet often her areas of improvement are based around tidying up her kicking or polishing up her play when under pressure.

From a footballing perspective, Grieves has a great understanding of the game. The Western Bulldogs supporter has shown she can play as a pressure forward, and then as an inside midfielder. Her hands on the inside are clean, she picks the right options and can execute well by hand when extracting the ball. Her clearance numbers speak for themselves, and she is arguably the number one clearance player in the draft.

Some people might point to her size - 163cm - as a potential drawback compared to the more bigger midfielders but that is somewhat of a misconception because she can play a similar role to Maddy Prespakis with her crash-and-bash style, while still having that extra leg speed to get her out of trouble. She is not explosive, but she does have a nice first few steps, and with her power can get her hands free to clear it to a teammate.

Athletically she rates above average across the board, with her agility particularly high. Though none of those areas are an elite trait as such, she just does everything well, like the majority of her game. Up forward, she has the smarts and craft to not only hit the scoreboard, but set up her teammates with deft passes or unselfish taps forward.

Coming into the year, Grieves' outside game was an area that could further improve. Yes, she was an elite inside ball-winner, and of course she could do damage when playing up forward. But the next possession after the stoppage was a way she could further develop, and develop she did. More than a few times she won the ball in one-two situations, took multiple bounces and ran down a wing before putting the ball inside 50, or even kicked a running goal from just inside 50 against South Australia.

By the end of the season, Grieves had rounded out her game to have most people in agreement that when it came to improvements, there was not a drastic change needed. She could polish up her game under pressure particularly by foot, but with time and space, or once she gets a proper look, she is effective over multiple distances.

As a whole, Grieves is what you call a 'safe' choice for any AFLW club. She is the one player you can lock in to leave no stone unturned in her determination to be the best players she could be. The one player you can almost guarantee will find her place and just play her role each and every week. For that kind of guaranteed consistency, she is an obvious first round choice.