Toast Welcome to Freo Hayden Young – Fremantle’s 1st 2019 National Draft Pick [Pick #7]

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MrDanggazz

Norm Smith Medallist
Jun 11, 2016
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Welcome to Freo Hayden Young!




DOB: 11-04-2001 (18)
POSITION: Medium Defender
HEIGHT: 188cm
WEIGHT: 82kg
DRAFTED FROM: Dandenong Stingrays (Victoria)

STRENGTHS:


Kicking
Intercept marking
Reading the play
Agility
Athleticism
Decision making

IMPROVEMENTS:

Midfield craft
Scoreboard impact


DRAFT ANALYSIS: “Arguably the best kick in this year’s draft pool, Young is a damaging half-back with great intercept marking and scope to move into the midfield.”

TOUTED for his game-breaking kicking ability and impressive athletic base, Hayden Young is one of the leading prospects to be taken after the seemingly inevitable top two selections. A mainstay in Dandenong Stingrays’ premiership-winning back six last year, much of the promise surrounding Young came from a potential move into the midfield, but that remains an area of hope after he continued his form largely across half-back once again. His athletic traits were again shown off at the National Combine, topping the agility test with a time of 7.940 seconds as the only player to crack under eight seconds to go with his solid speed and endurance scores. Young averaged an impressive 22.3 disposals (15 kicks) in the NAB League this year and 22 (16 kicks) in the National Championships to highlight his consistency, transitioning from his usual half-back role to be tried in the midfield and on a wing late in the Stingrays’ campaign. A modern defender, Young would provide great value late in the top 10, but will unlikely last past pick five given the prolific level of his skills.

Young’s style of play combines damage going forward with safe defensive attributes. They lend to each other, with his intercept marking and reading of the play allowing him to then set up from the back with his run and laser-like kick – around 70 percent of his overall disposals this year were kicks. The things that point to Young’s upside and midfield potential are mostly athletic, with his 21.3 pre-season yo-yo score a good base, and his 7.940-second agility test at the National Combine second to none. With a 20m sprint time close to the three-second mark to boot, do not be surprised to see Young’s explosiveness from packs and work rate around the defensive arc translate to dominance through the engine room. His decision making is also to be admired, with Young’s ability to find targets at that difficult 45-degree angle and hit them up under pressure like it is kick-to-kick in the park. He can kick long across his body and find a free target, and almost always makes the right decisions, even if the execution ends up that tad too risky and it does not pay off. Young does not die wondering with his penetrating plays that open the game up for his team.

But Young’s midfield craft is still a work-in-progress and will come with time. He showed late in the NAB League season that he was more than capable there with three-straight 25-plus disposal games, managing to hit the scoreboard in both. All of his NAB League goals came in those outings too and given Young’s ability to impact the game in the attacking half (average 3.0 inside 50s), he could certainly have put a few more through the big sticks – particularly in hand-off situations from range. Young’s clearance average of 2.5 was also boosted in those late appearances, coming shortly after a national carnival where he had just 28.7 percent contested possessions. His ability to do both is improving but is not quite at the level of others just yet. Still, Young is as well-rounded in his game and athletic traits as any top prospect, and we tend to be more critical of the best players given the greater difficulty to pinpoint clear deficiencies.

DRAFT RANGE: 3-8
 
Last edited:
Oct 30, 2007
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Hayden Young (188cm, 82kg from Dandenong Stingrays/Vic Country)

The best kick in the draft. In fact, he's the best kick to come through the draft in recent memory. And simplistically, that's about all you really need to know about Hayden Young. After the U18 Championships and the 2019 season came to an end, I doubt Fremantle would have had Young in their thinking. There was no way he should have been available at their first pick, not with his skills. Yet here we are, for some reason it looked like he could still be on the board.

The only reason I can think of why Young isn't a top 5 pick is because teams are factoring in needs, whether it's wanting a tall or wanting someone with breakaway speed. But their loss is Fremantle's gain. The only possible weakness is a lack of midfield game. Young played a bit in the middle to end the season for Dandenong and looked good, and maybe he eventually enters the midfield rotation. Who knows, but for now he's a half back. And as you would expect given his role, he doesn't get on the scoreboard himself...but his scoreboard impact is huge with how he uses the ball off half back.

As a half back, Young is everything you want in the modern game. I'll start with an underrated aspect of his game, and that's his defensive work. He made it a focus this year and it shows, he's not just an offensive weapon. He's also an excellent reader of the ball in the air, he can zone off and intercept with the best of them. But get the ball in his hand and just sit back and enjoy. His left foot is absolutely elite, but so is his vision and decision making. He can make kicks that other's wouldn't even attempt. He trusts his skills and isn't afraid to take a risk, and that's key against zone defenses. He's also a good athlete, winning the agility testing at the Combine and his personal best in the endurance testing would have featured in the top 10 too.

Looking purely at his stats, he's another who has improved his numbers in his draft year too, while losing nothing in terms of his kicking efficiency approaching 80%...

2018 - 15 disposals, 3 marks
2019 - 22 disposals, 5 marks

For me, there is absolutely no doubt that Young is a top 5 prospect and it's crazy to me that he would be available at Fremantle's first pick. I rate Nick Haynes from GWS as one of the best in his position, and I think Young could be even better.
 

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Apr 26, 2011
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Wimbledon AFC
Hayden Young (188cm, 82kg from Dandenong Stingrays/Vic Country)

The best kick in the draft. In fact, he's the best kick to come through the draft in recent memory. And simplistically, that's about all you really need to know about Hayden Young. After the U18 Championships and the 2019 season came to an end, I doubt Fremantle would have had Young in their thinking. There was no way he should have been available at their first pick, not with his skills. Yet here we are, for some reason it looked like he could still be on the board.

The only reason I can think of why Young isn't a top 5 pick is because teams are factoring in needs, whether it's wanting a tall or wanting someone with breakaway speed. But their loss is Fremantle's gain. The only possible weakness is a lack of midfield game. Young played a bit in the middle to end the season for Dandenong and looked good, and maybe he eventually enters the midfield rotation. Who knows, but for now he's a half back. And as you would expect given his role, he doesn't get on the scoreboard himself...but his scoreboard impact is huge with how he uses the ball off half back.

As a half back, Young is everything you want in the modern game. I'll start with an underrated aspect of his game, and that's his defensive work. He made it a focus this year and it shows, he's not just an offensive weapon. He's also an excellent reader of the ball in the air, he can zone off and intercept with the best of them. But get the ball in his hand and just sit back and enjoy. His left foot is absolutely elite, but so is his vision and decision making. He can make kicks that other's wouldn't even attempt. He trusts his skills and isn't afraid to take a risk, and that's key against zone defenses. He's also a good athlete, winning the agility testing at the Combine and his personal best in the endurance testing would have featured in the top 10 too.

Looking purely at his stats, he's another who has improved his numbers in his draft year too, while losing nothing in terms of his kicking efficiency approaching 80%...

2018 - 15 disposals, 3 marks
2019 - 22 disposals, 5 marks

For me, there is absolutely no doubt that Young is a top 5 prospect and it's crazy to me that he would be available at Fremantle's first pick. I rate Nick Haynes from GWS as one of the best in his position, and I think Young could be even better.
Thanks chris. My uneducated mind is now at ease
 

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Nov 28, 2013
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12 clubs were asked on who they would have taken at pick 3 and two thirds of them went Young. I think we got a steal here. This guy could be anything. Really happy with this pick
 
Those flat kicks into the corridor to open up play will make our forwards look amazing.

Young has the ball, spread the defensive zone = more gaps. Or don't, he kicks into the space in the middle and our hard running player who doesn't have to be fast because he isn't leading into "dangerous space" is standing by himself and in the game.
 

yakka man

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Aug 27, 2010
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I was freaking out earlier when it was revealed that Carlton was acting like a woman scorned and trying to trade ahead of our picks to get Young. Absolutely thrilled that we got him. His elite kicking would've been wasted under Ross Lyon, but from what Longmuir was saying earlier today he will let Young play to his strengths.

Woohoo!
 

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