Fremantle midfielder Hayden Young said he tried to keep his approach “really simple” on his return from a long-term injury, but the result has been anything but in a two-step return to peak form.
A week after pulling on the subs vest and inspiring the Dockers to a win over top-of-the-ladder Collingwood at the MCG, Young now has a Glendinning Allan Medal in his possession as best-afield in a 49-point win over Fremantle in the 61st western derby.
“The medal is good, but I’m more pleased that I was able to come back and get through a game of footy and build some form because obviously it’s been a while that I’ve been out of the game,” Young said.
“When you come back, you’re always nervous about how you’re going to go. And I’ve tried to keep my game pretty simple, try to do the basics well.”
The big-bodied midfielder with the rapier left foot kicked three goals and collected 23 disposals, seven clearances, eight score involvements and 555m gained to poll eight of a maximum of nine votes and win the medal ahead of Andrew Brayshaw (six votes) and Murphy Reid (four votes).
He set up the Dockers’ win with a powerful first quarter when he registered 10 disposals, five clearances and two goals.
“In the past I probably wanted to play well in these games, because it’s a big game,” he said.
“Yes, there’s a medal attached to it, but because I’m coming back from injury, my mindset was just do what the team needs, play my role and whatever happens, happens.
“Sometimes when you try hard to achieve something, it sort of gets further away from you, and once you sort of let go of that and just, I suppose, do what the team needs, those things will happen.”
Young said he felt confident coming out of the Magpies clash, which was his first game in 10 weeks off a hamstring injury.
“I played a quarter last week and felt like I was able to jump into the game and have an influence,” he said.
“I felt like I was seeing the ball really well. Sometimes that’s an issue when you come back from an injury, you lose a bit of touch, or the game feels a bit quick.
“I didn’t feel that last week in what was a pretty high stakes game with really good opposition, so that set me up well, going into this week.
“I felt confident in my ability and I just trusted I had more.”
Young was managed out in the final term and said that was always the plan.
“I was always going to be on managed minutes, so it was just about how they did that. There were options to play four quarters but spend more time on the bench or forward.
“But I mustn’t have been running too well. And when they said ‘mate, come off’, it was fine. So happy to tick that box and keep building.”
GLENDINNING-ALLAN MEDAL VOTING
Peter Bell (ABC) – Chair
3-Hayden Young
2- Murphy Reid
1- Andy Brayshaw
Jackson Barrett (The West Australian)
3- Hayden Young
2- Andrew Brayshaw
1- Murphy Reid
Mark LeCras (Channel 7)
3- Andy Brayshaw
2- Hayden Young
1- Murphy Reid
TOTAL
8- Hayden Young
6 – Andy Brayshaw
4 – Murphy Reid
https://thewest.com.au/sport/fremantle-dockers/western-derby-61-glendinning-allan-medallist-hayden-young-keeping-stellar-comeback-simple-c-19483424
