STRENGTHS:

+ Athleticism
+ Aerial ability
+ Clean hands
+ Forward craft
+ Finishing
+ Upside

IMPROVEMENTS:

- Endurance
- Midfield craft

Duursma's skillset is extensive, possessing a range of natural footballing traits and excellent craft in the forward half. He's a player who immediately passes the eye test too, moving fluently and with great style in the attacking phase of the game. His high-end athletic profile shows strength in the way of speed and leap, with Duursma finishing second in the National Draft Combine's running vertical jump (97cm), and posting a 20m sprint time of 3.055 seconds. For a player approaching the 190cm-mark, he has that dual-threat of being aerially dominant while also having the capacity to carry the ball and side-step opponents into pockets of space.

Arguably Duursma's best asset is his one-touch marking. His hands are incredibly clean, even at ground level, but the way he leaps at the ball, extends and clunks it overhead is a real point of difference among medium types. Duursma averaged 6.3 marks across his 12 Coates Talent League games this year, either burning opponents on the lead with speed off the mark, or beating them under the high ball closer to goal. His one-touch handling also translates when pinch-hitting through midfield, where Duursma has a happy knack for snatching the ball off ruck taps and streaming away with it.

Compounding Duursma's impact is his ability to consistently hit the scoreboard. He booted over 30 goals in consecutive campaigns for Gippsland and proved a game-winner in Vic Country's final dig against Vic Metro this year. In that match, he got to showcase his craft as a permanent fixture inside 50, splitting the big sticks four times from 22 disposals and 10 marks. His best haul for the year was a bag of six against Bendigo, and having kicked goals in every Talent League appearance, he snared multiple majors in eight of 12 outings. Finishing is clearly a strength, doing so over the mark and in open play from a range of distances and angles.

It's clear that forward is his best position, but Duursma can certainly develop his midfield craft and spent plenty of time there this year. The key to a more permanent shift will be endurance, with consistent impact through the middle remaining an area of improvement. Duursma ran a 6:54 2km time trial at the combine, which can easily be trimmed down with a big preseason. Should he develop his tank, accumulating possessions at a more regular rate would only benefit whatever team he ends up at, as he usually makes excellent decisions with each touch and already has high score involvement numbers.

For all the concrete skills and attributes that Duursma brings to the table, there is also an element of the unknown and intangible. He has great upside in the way of his on-field feats, but is also a terrific character who seems popular among teammates and hardly gets ahead of himself. He persevered through a slow start to the season to hit an absolute purple patch at the right time, working to only confirm his status as a prospect who belongs in the top echelon of this year's intake. There's improvement left, and that's pretty scary to think about.