STRENGTHS:

+ Clean hands
+ Explosive speed
+ Inside-outside balance
+ Skills
+ Defensive pressure
+ Footy IQ
+ Decision making
+ Vision

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Aerial ability
- Scoreboard impact

It is tough to even know where to begin with McMillan when discussing her strengths, so from an overall point of view, it is very easy to say that the Eastern skipper has one of - if not the - most balanced game in the draft crop. Athleticism, tick. Skills, tick. Defensive pressure, tick. Footy IQ, tick. Leadership and character, tick. Finding flaws in her game are like needles in a haystack.

A pure midfielder - who has spent time in other roles but does her best work at the coalface - McMillan does not back down from a challenge. Her contested appetite and ability to win the ball in any of the first, second or third phases is what will endear her to clubs. She can slot into any midfield, and you can be safe in the knowledge that she can not only win the ball herself, but deny the opposition with a remarkable level of defensive pressure.

For such a highly contested ball-winner, her skills are next level. She ran at 55.4 per cent contested rate at the national championships, yet finished with a 64.4 per cent kicking efficiency. Of those players to average 55 per cent contested and 60 per cent efficiency by foot, McMillan was the only midfielder which is something you should let sink in.

If that wasn't enough to get clubs excited, McMillan also boasts explosive speed and ankle-breaking agility. She didn't get to test at the National Draft Combine, but posted a top 10 agility test at the Coates Talent League Girls Preseason Testing Day of 8.4447 seconds, and was also up there with her 20m sprint. Perhaps her ability to change direction at speed is another huge tick in her favour.

From her ball use to her gather method, McMillan also utilises the smarts she has at her disposal, with terrific footy IQ, vision and decision making all wrapped up in one to rarely make a mistake. Even the touches she does turn over are usually through immense pressure or at worst to a 50/50 contest. Each touch is measured and though through, and she holds off by hand if needed before executing so efficiently.

The fact she wins so much of the ball and is one teammates love to get it into the hands of, it is still a wonder she lays almost 10 tackles per game. But she leads by example and is the first to get her hands dirty. Naturally she also has some of the cleanest pair of hands you could see going around as well and thanks to her vision, decision making and execution, extracts the ball from the inside to get it to the outside.

All this being said, no prospect is perfect, so what are some of the elements that McMillan can improve on? Aside from obviously upping her already impressive strengths, perhaps aerial contests are a way for the Vic Metro talent to further develop. She is 162cm so is unlikely to be a massive threat when one-on-one against taller opponents, but it is still a way to add to her game.

On top of that, McMillan can include a goalkicking element to her game, having only kicked four goals over her three seasons at the Ranges. Usually the one disposing of the ball going forward, McMillan has set up plenty, but being able to kick a goal a game would broaden her hurt factor even more. As a whole though, these are minute additions to an already very well-rounded game.