WHAT can't Poppy Scholz do?

It's the question on everyone's lips after the 19-year-old added yet another string to her bow, taking on the ruck role in Carlton's 26-point win over St Kilda in the AFLW season-opener. 

Spending 2025 playing across half-back and up forward in her first year, Scholz was pencilled for both roles for the season ahead. 

But when a calf injury ruled out their recruit, Lauren Bella, for the next 4-6 weeks, 179cm Scholz was suddenly needed as a back-up ruck to Jess Good, where she promptly rose to the occasion under the Marvel Stadium lights. 

Utilising her elite jump and agility around the ball, the AFLW may have caught a glimpse of its own "unicorn" on Sunday, with her style reminiscent of a Luke Jackson-type, according to AFLW expert Kate McCarthy. 

"Seeing her play through the ruck, she is a genuine, almost Luke Jackson type," McCarthy said on AFL.com.au's The Wrap.

"She can play at ground level, she can work through. She always takes on the tackler on any occasion."

McCarthy also praised Scholz’s ability to read her opposition ruck, electing to let St Kilda's Zoe Besanko take the hitout and give herself a better vantage point to bring the ball forward. 

"I love this from Poppy Scholz. We're going to see different rucks use the rule in different ways," McCarthy said. 

"She just holds, doesn't cross the line and sharks the tap from the opposition ruck."

Scholz's older sister is of course Matilda Scholz, who earned an All-Australian blazer last year for her dynamic ruck craft – a skill that McCarthy says the youngest sister is beginning to emulate.

"It really reminds me a little bit of her sister Matilda, in that area of the game," McCarthy said. 

"We haven't seen her play a whole lot of game through the ruck, as we see with Matilda, she's the No.1 ruck at Port Adelaide, but Poppy may be doing some craft in the backyard with her."

The Wrap co-host Joel Peterson also threw his support behind the Blue, going so far as to say Scholz could rise to become an All-Australian contender this season.

"She'll play forward, she'll play back, she'll do everything and I feel like she could be an All-Australian in her second year," Peterson said. 

According to head coach Mathew Buck, the decision to play Scholz as the second ruck to Good was only made during the week. But with plenty to still come from her game in 2026, Buck believes the experiment is just the tip of the iceberg for the young Blue. 

"Just two days ago I said, 'Hey, we might have to go into the ruck here'," Buck said.  

"We were talking about [Mimi Hill's] podcast ('Word on the Hill') earlier in the week and [Poppy] told me she'd like to be a centre bounce ruck, and I thought, 'Yeah I might need you to be as well.’ She went in and that first centre bounce she takes it out and drives forward. 

"She grows every time she steps out there and her confidence is building in what she can do. She's done things in training that our players and our team are just in awe of. Hopefully we get to see that at different stages during the year."