Brisbane Lions defender Natalie Grider has been mentored by the largest stars within the membership’s line of defense and now they give the impression of being to her for inspiration.
The 22-year-old will line up in Sunday’s AFLW grand closing in opposition to the Melbourne Demons as probably the most promising younger gamers within the recreation.
She is a part of a line of defense that features established huge weapons and Lions basis gamers Bre Koenen and Kate Lutkins.
Lutkins missed most of AFLW Season Six and half of this season whereas recovering from an ACL rupture.
The 34-year-old is proud to have Grider by her aspect.
Lutkins mentioned Grider was “a beautiful human” and has additionally been blown away by the event in her recreation.
“Natalie Grider is a real jet back there. She took her game to another level last season and has taken her game to an even higher level this season,” Lutkins mentioned.
“She has just grown in confidence over the years and worked really hard on her kicking, fitness and skills. She takes absolutely amazing intercept marks and has composure on the ball. She creates time and space around her when there is no time and space.”
Grider’s type in her fourth AFLW season was such that she was named within the All-Australian aspect this week on the interchange bench.
She mentioned she was lucky to have such “incredible people” as Koenen and Lutkins to mentor her about defensive play and what it means to play for the membership.
The restoration by Lutkins from an ACL damage suffered in January has lifted all of the gamers, Grider included.
“She was my role model playing footy and someone I tried to base a lot of my game off,” she mentioned.
“Seeing her go down one in round one last season was really hard for myself and the rest of the group. To have her back out there with us is just phenomenal.
“I do not assume there may be every other athlete within the AFLW who may end their rehab so rapidly to get again on the park. It is a credit score to her angle and power.”
The match-up between the defensive clout of the Lions and the attacking flair of the Demons has Grider pumped.
“They are an incredible ahead line with expertise throughout the group with Tayla Harris and even gamers which might be fairly fast by foot like Alyssa Bannan,” Grider mentioned.
“It is a ahead line that we love matching up on. It will probably be a extremely good problem for us.”
