PROFILE

Grace Matser has been developing nicely for Gippsland Power having played at V/Line Cup level and progressed through to the Under 19s side. 

STRENGTHS:

• Footy IQ
• Ruck work
• Work rate
• Kicking
• Decision making
• Size

KEY IMPROVEMENT:

• Marking

To appreciate what Grace Matser does well, you have to almost isolate her performance, as there are plenty of things the ruck does that might otherwise go unnoticed. Her deft taps at ground level under pressure or decisions that might not earn her a statistic or highlight, help teammates around the ground, but then there is her rare ability to use the ball well in transition.

Always towering over her opponents, the tall is arguably the smartest ruck in the Victorian draft pool. Being a left-footer, Matser is able to hit targets and move well, outsizing her opponents and making her difficult to match up on. Her footy IQ is high, and it helps with her decision making in transition looking down the field.

The knock on Matser is her marking, with talls often judged whether they can pull down big grabs, and this is the most pressing area of improvement for Matser. She can bring the ball to ground and competes hard in the air, but it is sticking those marks when going forward, or being that hit-up target at half-back that could take her game to another level. Her work with the ball, and around the stoppages is among the best going around, and once she is able to add that contested marking string to her bow, she will be all the more damaging.

A ruck that can not only find the ball, but use it well in transition and work hard at ground level to lock the ball up and force a stoppage is rare. Matser does just this, and she knows that more often than not, her ability to win the ruck tap will earn her teammates first possession.

As one of the few rucks that have stood out for the NAB League clubs, Matser is a point of difference with her footy smarts and disposal.

QUOTES

" If we are talking about points of difference, then Gippsland Power ruck Matser certainly has that in a ruck. Standing at 186cm, Matser is an early 2003 birth, but has been involved in the Power program since the V/Line Cup days, even as a developing tall back then. What really makes Matser stand out compared to other rucks is her footy IQ and her kicking. Being a left footer, Matser uses the ball well around the ground, so is a player that teammates are happy to give the ball to and dispose of, with her ball drop, technique and delivery inside 50 quite impressive. When watching Matser at stoppages, she always gets to the right position, and whether or not she wins the tap, she has made life difficult for her opponent. The area of improvement for Matser is her overhead marking, mostly because she does everything right – positioning, timing the ball drop and protecting the zone – but needs to hold onto the grabs. Around the ground in play, Matser is as influential as any ruck, and when she can clunk those grabs, will become a more influential key position tall at either end." - Peter Williams via "2021 AFLW Draft Positional Analysis: Rucks" "The Vic Country ruck came into the season as Gippsland’s top 18-year-old hopeful, and after an injury in Round 1 threatened to delay some games, Matser made it back to play all bar the Pioneers win which she missed due to Country commitments. Good at ground level and moving well around the ground, Matser has a high work rate to be able to provide an option and almost be that fourth midfielder to use the ball going forward. Still developing her contested marking, Matser still has another chance to impress for Country against Queensland on Sunday." - Peter Williams via "2021 NAB League Girls team review: Gippsland Power" "The ruck did really well around the ground and finds plenty of the ball for a taller player, not afraid to be used in transition. Her contested marking is still a work in progress, but what she does well is her second efforts and ground level work, where she can be quick to aide teammates. Her work rate is high and she can win the ball across all thirds of the ground, and works over her opponents who often have to rotate in and out to match her." - Peter Williams via "Top Performers: NAB League Girls - Round 7/2c/3b" "Just dominated through the ruck, towering over her respective opponents, and she showed confidence a few times to grab it out of the ruck and clear it herself once she realised there was no opponent going up with her. She provided an option across the ground and showed good running capacity, and won a number of free kicks for being held at times just because of her influence on the game. Really building some good form of late, and critically winning a fair chunk of the ball and being used by her teammates in transition which is often rare for rucks." - Peter Williams via "Top Performers: NAB League Girls - Round 2a & 5"

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STATS