AMIDST Brisbane's rollercoaster year, where it finds itself seventh on the ladder heading into the second half of the season, Courtney Hodder is in career-best form.

Initially signed as a rookie ahead of the 2021 season, Hodder changed the way the Lions' forward line operated. Turning up the pressure inside 50, Brisbane became the best tackle inside 50 team across the League in the subsequent years.

Now, she is bringing that sort of pressure around the contest.

Last year Hodder spent increasing minutes in the midfield, with that only growing again this year. Her speed and aggression have offered a point of difference, and it has allowed her to thrive.

"She's had a phenomenal year, Courtney," Brisbane coach Craig Starcevich said following the club's round six win over the Western Bulldogs.

"That's some of her career-best form at this point, so she's dynamic, she's busy, she's forever pressuring the opposition, and she's always dangerous inside the forward 50 arc."

Hodder is averaging career-best numbers across several metrics, and despite spending more time up the ground, is still regularly hitting the scoreboard.

It is something that former Brisbane assistant coach, now Hawthorn head coach Daniel Webster has also noticed, having always been a fan of how she goes about her footy.

"The thing I love about Courtney Hodder is the aggression in the contest, but it's ice-cold aggression. She's one of the nicest human beings off the field, but when she goes out there, she will smash you and then she just gives nothing away, no energy, she just gives the opposition nothing. I love that about her," Webster said on The W Show.

"Comes in, the reaction time, hits bodies, go again. Really strong in the contest to be able to win the ball out and get teammates into space."

In particular, it is Hodder's quick reaction time and ability to stay involved in passages of play that makes her so dangerous.

She has a knack of hitting the contest hard, and with speed, but then bouncing back up to impact the next part of the play. It's not solely defensive efforts, either, as Hodder's quick hands from the contest have often been able to release players on the outside.

Now, as the Lions prepare to face a winless Richmond outfit on Sunday, Hodder's impact around the footy will be crucial if they are to celebrate Ally Anderson's record 100th game with a win.