WITH a host of young talent littered throughout the ANZ Premiership competition, Draft Central takes a look at one key player each week. This week the player in focus is Central Pulse midcourter Maddy Gordon who impressed in Round 3 with her speed, tenacity and desire to take the game on. 

Age: 20
Height: 174cm
Position: WA, C, WD

Still honing her craft, the young midcourter has walked into the permanent wing attack position and taken each challenge in her stride. Typically known for her role as either a centre or wing defence, Gordon has taken like a duck to water in the attacking position, using her speed to full effect and delivering the ball on a silver platter to the likes of Ameliaranne Ekenasio and Aliyah Dunn. Her ability to read the play and vary her passes depending on the goalers is impressive, able to release the ball with speed and trajectory to Dunn holding under the post, or popping a short pass to Ekenasio at the top of the circle. 

For someone so young her vision is also impressive, able to sight her teammate in space and deliver accordingly as shown last round racking up 10 goal assists against the Mystics despite the long arms of opponent Emily Burgess. Gordon will once again have to use her speed and fancy footwork to evade the hands over pressure from her opponent and have a profound impact in the attacking third for the Pulse against both the Magic and Steel. 

Standing at 174cm, the wing attack is not afraid to take the hard drive to the top of the goal circle and create plenty of attacking forays. She hardly ever stands still, constantly repositioning around the circle and looking to open up space making her incredibly hard to match-up against. She is a real energiser bunny for the Pulse through the midcourt with her explosive speed and impressive change of direction to keep defenders head on a swivel. Her nippiness around the court and strong hands makes her a crucial cog for the Pulse through the centre and attacking third while her athleticism is also another key element of her game play. Gordon’s balance around the perimeter and general spatial awareness is second to none and given she is still early in her career has plenty of upside.

Impressive in attack, Gordon has proven more than once that she can do the defensive things incredibly well, with her three foot marking and aerial ability allowing her to get hands to ball. She is never out of the contest, always on the hunt for an intercept and contesting every ball that comes her way. Her pressure through the midcourt is pivotal to the Pulse’s game style with the 20-year-old renowned for her timing to create tips and skill to switch from defence into offence in a heartbeat amassing three deflections and two pickups for her efforts in Round 3. 

Combining with the likes of Claire Kersten through the midcourt, the two balance each other out, knowing when to run or when to hold in the attacking third. Their quick ball movement and link up through court adds to the Pulse line-up and will have to be on song once again this week if they are to remain undefeated.