Fremantle young gun Hayden Young is being tipped to make a push for an All-Australian nod in 2023 after a strong start to pre-season.
Young is coming off the back of a strong 2022 campaign, averaging a career-high 22.8 disposals playing off half-back.
Former Dockers star Paul Hasleby is anticipating another leap for the 21-year-old defender next season.
“I’m going to make a big call, Hayden Young to be All-Australian for the first time for the Fremantle Dockers,” he said on SEN WA’s The Run Home.
For The West Australian’s Mitchell Woodcock, Young’s performance in pre-season training so far is certainly supporting Hasleby’s prediction.
“I agree with you, he could really be pushing for those All Australian sides and those bigger honours,” he said.
“He’s one of those guys, I think they really like what he can provide from half-back, he’s got great vision and at the moment he’s having a really good pre-season so it will be interesting to see how he goes this year.”
In Woodcock’s view, the most impressive part of Young’s game is his composure.
“He’s just such a smooth mover, he just has that ‘no panic space’ sort of way of playing like a Pendlebury does, where he never looks panicked, he just hits targets,” he said.
“He looks really good, started at half-back, Jordan Clark on the other half-back flank and both of them really provide some pace.
“He just has smarts, the ability to switch the ball was really good from Young and I really think he’s in for a big year.
“Everyone looks at all these young talented players, and everyone thinks Hayden Young might have the biggest ceiling at times, I tell you what, when he kicks it off half-back you can see why.”
Young’s impressive 2022 was capped off by a top-10 nod in Fremantle’s best and fairest, finishing eighth what was just his third season of senior football.