STRENGTHS:

+ Aerial ability
+ Athleticism
+ Clean hands
+ Ground coverage
+ Upside
+ Versatility

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Contested game
- Kick consistency

Having played plenty of high-level basketball growing up, it is no surprise that one of Duursma's most prominent strengths is his aerial ability. At 193cm, he is no stranger to playing tall - particularly in defence - and has the kind of frame which lends to dominant marking craft. Preferring to occupy the back shoulder, Duursma has a fluent leap and can access the ball at the top of his reach with outstanding extension overhead.

His aerial ability is just as prominent both around the ground and up forward. In the back-end of the season, Duursma spent much more time ahead of the ball and became a mobile marking threat. Credit to his 87cm running vertical jump - ninth-best at the draft combine - Duursma consistently took strong grabs inside 50 which would lend to scoring opportunities. He kicked 16 goals in 13 games for the Power this year.

The 18-year-old's strong set of hands also translate to his evolving midfield craft. Having sought to improve on his ground level handling throughout the year, Duursma now sees his follow-up work as a strength. It shows in clean and quick extraction work at the contest, which has been a significant growth area. While he has been thrown into every which role, it's little wonder why Duursma considers himself best used in midfield.

Outside of the contest is where Duursma's athleticism shines, though. He's a true all-rounder, boasting power and a unique ability to glide across the turf effortlessly. He's always threatening with ball in hand, able to cut through traffic and take metres with dynamic movement. His balanced running power was another athletic trait displayed at the combine, placing sixth in the 2km time trial, and achieving a sub-three second 20m sprint.

Duursma's athletic profile is a key facet that points towards his significant upside, along with his versatility. He has chopped out to play as a second or third tall at either end of the ground, spent plenty of time learning his craft on the wing, and now is an established onballer. That factor of being thrown around disrupted his consistency early in the season, but Duursma has since been willing to do whatever he needs to help the team.

The main knock on him this year was his contested game. A wiry type who is efficient in time and space, he needed to enhance his physicality and effort on the inside in order to properly prove his midfield credentials. His desire to do so was outlined in boosted tackle numbers and aggression at the ball. He even highlighted his 10-tackle game against Tasmania in Round 17 as his favourite of the year, because of how his improvements showed.

Another area for growth with Duursma is his kicking consistency. At his best he is capable of taking risks by foot, delivering flat and penetrative passes in the long-range. Although, he ran at a steady 68 per cent kicking efficiency during the National Championships and was prone to turnovers in unideal situations, particularly under pressure. More generally, he has previously been a composed and effective distributor throughout his junior career.

Perhaps judging when best to pull the trigger will help Duursma inflict maximum damage by foot. Speaking of, one of the intangibles he boasts is confidence, particularly in big moments. A trait observed off big brother Zane, it has seen Willem stand up when games are there to be won to become a particularly clutch goalkicker in second halves. He knows he can be a difference maker as nearly always the best player on the park.