BRISBANE coach Craig Starcevich has likened midfield wrecking ball Cathy Svarc to two-time men's premiership player, Cam Rayner.
Well, maybe it was Chris Fagan that made the comparison.
Svarc continued a fine patch of form last Saturday with her best game of 2025 – a 21-disposal outing against Port Adelaide that left a trail of bodies on Brighton Homes Arena with her brute power doing damage with and without the ball.
Svarc palmed defenders off with ball in hand and rattled bones when she tackled, having a major impact on the Lions' fourth consecutive victory.
"The senior men's coach made an interesting observation, because he watches all our games as well, and he likened her to Cam Rayner with her style of footy, bursting through opponents," Starcevich said on Thursday.
"When Cath gets in that frame of mind, she's pretty hard to stop.
"She's got the best acceleration in the competition over the first couple of steps and she's strong and powerful. She's very hard to tackle.
"If she gets in that mindset where she really wants to take some grass in front of her, she's a dynamic weapon for us."
Svarc began her career at the Lions in 2020 after impressing as a train-on player.
She formed her reputation as a tagger that was almost impossible to beat, with her combination of speed, strength and discipline to task.
Over the past two years, Starcevich has used her as a half-forward that swaps into the midfield, much like Fagan does with Rayner.
Against Port, Svarc's run-and-carry proved a huge weapon, playing a significant role in her career-high 482m gained.
"Given the type of player she is, where it's flat out for as long as she can go, and the amount of effort she puts into her leg drive, she's probably that type of athlete that just needs managing physically," he said.
"We're getting a better handle on that now.
"She came on to the list as a stopper and has evolved to one of the better midfielders in the comp. It's quite the story for someone to come that far and do what she's done."
Svarc's younger sister, Ruby, will be available to face Essendon at Windy Hill on Sunday after overcoming a concussion suffered in the round eight QClash against Gold Coast.
