SydneySydneyBalanced Midfielder

#25

Sofia Hurley

height: 166cm

weight:

D.O.B: 30-01-2004

Leagues: AFLW, Coates Talent League Girls, AFLW U18 Championships, AFLW U17 Championships

  • Snapshot
  • Analysis
  • Summary

A determined midfielder who runs hard all day and contributes going both ways, Sofia Hurley has proven nothing short of prolific over her junior career. The Sandringham Dragons jet was club champion in her bottom-age year and since earned AFLW Academy honours, as well as repeat Vic Metro representative stints. Her strengths lie in midfield with a huge work rate and crafty stoppage exits, but she can also roll forward to good effect.

>> SOFIA HURLEY FEATURE

AFL Academy member Sofia Hurley backed up a stellar under-aged season, which saw her win the Sandringham Dragons best and fairest, taking another step in 2022 to become one of best and most consistent Victorian prospects in the pool.

Starting the season in her regular midfield role, Hurley gradually increased her time in the forward 50 as the season rolled on, showing a clear second position as she heads to the next level - even registering six goals across nine NAB League Girls games. Whilst the added versatility certainly appeals, Hurley’s strengths are best shown when running through the midfield around stoppages, with her reading of the ball off the rucks' hands and positioning at high levels. They're deadly skills when combined with her evasive technique.

Hurley’s biggest point of difference from other midfield options is her defensive game, aided by her high work rate and tackling strength. Hurley laid a whopping 84 tackles in the NAB League, the second most overall, to go along with her average of 25.3 disposals - only dropping below 20 once in the entire season

Hurley played a smaller role in the midfield for Vic Metro through the championships, spending large chunks of time in the forward half but still managing to impact games, averaging 22.7 disposals and 6.3 tackles across her three appearances. Hurley continued to play predominantly as a forward for the AFLW Academy in their clash against the Under 23 All-Stars, registering 13 disposals and five tackles.

At the next level, Hurley would benefit from some improvement on her body work around stoppages, as she can sometimes be outmuscled when receiving opposition attention. On top of that, her skill execution on her left side is an area she’s already working to improve.

FUN FACT:

Determined to prove herself up forward, Hurley snapped her 12-game streak without a NAB League Girls goal in Round 6, a run which stretched back to 2020. She went on to snare six majors in her last five outings, finding the big sticks in four of them.

Strengths
Accumulation
Evasion
Stoppage work
Tackling
Vision
Work rate
Improvements
Kicking consistency [reference to execution]
Opposite foot

AFLW

SeasonTeamKHBDMCPUPTHOCLRI50R50GLGMKHDMHOTGDC
S7Sydney653398762364402112173106.53.39.80.70.04.40.340
Total-653398762364402112173106.53.39.80.70.04.40.340

Coates Talent League Girls

SeasonTeamKHBDMCPUPTHOCLRI50R50GLGMKHDMHOTGDC
2020Sandringham Dragons2815434001100121139.35.014.31.30.03.70.352
2021Sandringham Dragons92351271000330027210713.15.018.11.40.04.70.064
2022Sandringham Dragons130722021000810031164816.39.025.31.30.010.10.583
Total-250122372240012500703851813.96.820.71.30.06.90.3199

AFLW U18 Championships

SeasonTeamKHBDMCPUPTHOCLRI50R50GLGMKHDMHOTGDC
2021Vic Metro Girls921100030231019.02.011.00.00.03.00.044
2022Vic Metro Girls38306880019091810312.710.022.72.70.06.30.087
Total-473279800220112120411.88.019.82.00.05.50.0131

AFLW U17 Championships

SeasonTeamKHBDMCPUPTHOCLRI50R50GLGMKHDMHOTGDC
2021Vic Metro U17s981700021762019.08.017.00.01.02.00.079
Total-981700021762019.08.017.00.01.02.00.079
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