Hayden Young

Hayden Young
Personal information
Full name	Hayden Young
Date of birth	(2001-04-11) 11 April 2001 (age 23)
Original team(s)	Dandenong Stingrays (TAC Cup)
Draft	No. 7, 2019 National draft, Fremantle
Height	189 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight	88 kg (194 lb)
Position(s)	Defender/Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Fremantle
Number	26
Playing career1
Years	Club	Games (Goals)
2020–	Fremantle	80 (15)
1 Playing statistics correct to the end of 2024.
Career highlights
AFL Rising Star nominee (2021) 22under22 team: 2022, 2023
Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com

Hayden Young (born 11 April 2001) is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).

Early life and career

Drafted with the 7th selection in the 2019 AFL draft from the Dandenong Stingrays in the NAB League, Young is the younger brother of the North Melbourne player Lachie Young. ^[1] He was considered to be one of the best kicks in his draft class. ^[2] He attended high school at Mornington Secondary College. ^[3]

AFL career

Young made his AFL debut for Fremantle in the long-delayed second round of the 2020 AFL season at The Gabba against Brisbane, as a late replacement for Nathan Wilson. ^[4] Young only played five games in 2020 due to an ankle injury sustained during Fremantle's clash against St Kilda. ^[5]

In 2021, he played the opening three games before a bad hamstring injury kept him out of the team for most of the year. ^[6] He returned in round 19, before playing the best game of his career in Fremantle's upset win over Richmond in round 20 and received the Rising Star nomination. ^[7]

The 2022 AFL season saw Young play a career best 22 games, ^[8] highlighted by multiple 31 disposal performances against St Kilda, Richmond and Hawthorn. ^[9] Young kicked his first goal in round eight during Fremantle's 78 point win over North Melbourne. ^[10] He signed a four-year contract extension mid-season tying him to Fremantle until at least the end of the 2027 season. ^[11] He was one of Fremantle's better players during their elimination final against the Western Bulldogs at Optus Stadium collecting 28 disposals. ^[12]

Prior to the 2023 AFL season, Young was promoted to Fremantle's leadership group. ^[13] Late in the 2023 season against Geelong at Kardinia Park, Fremantle opted for a strategic move by deploying Young, a young defender at the time, to tag midfielder and Geelong captain Patrick Dangerfield. The move would prove to be successful with Young collecting 19 disposals whilst also quelling Patrick's influence. ^[14] He played a similar role the following week when he was sent to tag eventual 2023 Brownlow Medalist Lachie Neale, restricting him to 25 disposals. ^[15] The round 22 Western Derby saw Young spend the entirety of the game in the midfield, collecting 25 disposals and a game-high eight inside 50's in what was a 101 point thumping over the Eagles. ^[16]

After a strong pre-season Young was named on the extended interchange for Fremantle's opening game of the year against the Brisbane Lions. ^[17] Young was impressive collecting 24 disposals and a game-high 10 tackles in the 23 point come from behind win. ^[18] He collected a game-high 32 disposals two weeks later in round 3 against Adelaide at Optus. ^[19] Arguably his best game of the season so far was against Richmond at the MCG, he had 30 disposals and kicked two late last quarter goals in the 54 point win. He finished the match polling a perfect 10 coaches votes. ^[20]

Statistics

Statistics are correct to the end of 2024 ^[21]

Legend

G	Goals	K	Kicks	D	Disposals	T	Tackles
B	Behinds	H	Handballs	M	Marks

Season	Team	No.	Games	Totals							Averages (per game)							Votes
				G	B	K	H	D	M	T	G	B	K	H	D	M	T
2020 [lower-alpha 1]	Fremantle	26	5	0	0	33	17	50	16	7	0.0	0.0	6.6	3.4	10.0	3.2	1.4	0
2021	Fremantle	26	8	0	0	85	42	127	45	19	0.0	0.0	10.6	5.3	15.9	5.6	2.4	0
2022	Fremantle	26	22	1	1	306	196	502	164	50	0.0	0.0	13.9	8.9	22.8	7.5	2.3	5
2023	Fremantle	26	22	1	2	323	169	492	105	86	0.1	0.0	14.7	7.7	22.4	4.8	3.9	5
2024	Fremantle	26	23	13	10	301	247	548	76	123	0.6	0.4	13.1	10.7	23.8	3.3	5.4	12
Career			80	15	13	1048	671	1719	406	285	0.2	0.2	13.1	8.4	21.5	5.1	3.6	22

Notes

1. The 2020 season was played with 17 home-and-away matches per team (down from 22) and 16-minute quarters with time on (down from 20-minute quarters with time on) due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

References

1. "Young's brother teaching big AFL lessons". The Age. 26 November 2019. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
2. "Class of 2019: The kick that made every draft observer take notice". afc.com.au. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
3. "Sports News". Mornington Secondary College. 2 December 2019. Retrieved 27 November 2023.
4. "CONFIRMED: Young to debut against Lions". The West Australian. 13 June 2020. Retrieved 13 June 2020.
5. "Fremantle Dockers' Hayden Young reflects on injuries and being a Collingwood fan ahead of AFL finals clash". www.abc.net.au. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
6. "Young Docker's brutal hammy blow, superstar on track to return" . Retrieved 22 June 2022.
7. "Back with a bang: Young Docker marks return with Rising Star nom". afl.com.au. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
8. "Taking the leap: Your club's breakout star for 2023". afl.com.au. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
9. "Hayden Young". fremantlefc.com.au. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
10. "Six on the trot: Deadly Dockers blow Roos away to go top" . Retrieved 7 May 2022.
11. "Young gun signs massive deal!" . Retrieved 22 June 2022.
12. Schmook, Nathan. "Purple heart-stopper: Freo gives Dogs the heave-ho after HUGE comeback". afl.com.au. Retrieved 31 July 2023.
13. AAP (6 March 2023). "They value what I bring': Docker ready to answer leadership call" . Retrieved 16 April 2023.
14. "JL masterstroke brings Young's talent to the fore". fremantlefc. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
15. Schmook, Nathan (6 August 2023). "Lions keep top-two hopes alive in thriller against Freo". Australian Football League .
16. Schmook, Nathan. "Dockers do it easy over hapless Eagles in derby demolition". afl.com.au. Retrieved 13 August 2023.
17. "SQUAD UPDATE: O'Meara withdrawn, Simpson added to extended squad". fremantlefc.com. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
18. Schmook, Nathan. "Beefed-up engine room transforms 'scrappy and dirty' Dockers". afl.com.au. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
19. Bassett, Caitlin. "Hayden Young challenges Fremantle Dockers to bring killer edge to matches". thewest.com.au. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
20. Geleit, Lachlan (8 May 2024). ""The Young Bont": Freo Great Compares Emerging Docker To Bulldogs Superstar". 1116 SEN . Retrieved 27 May 2024.
21. "Hayden Young". AFL Tables. Retrieved 25 May 2022.

External links

• Hayden Young's profile on the official website of the Fremantle Football Club
• Hayden Young's playing statistics from AFL Tables
• Hayden Young at AustralianFootball.com