Image Credit: Paul Kane/AFL Photos

POSITION: Inside Midfielder

DRAFT ANALYSIS: "Young is a hard-working inside midfielder who wins plenty of contested ball, but can also accumulate on the spread with his strong endurance base." - Michael Alvaro

Claremont midfielder Logan Young has enjoyed a steep rise in 2020, returning a stellar WAFL Colts season as one of the competition's big improvers. The 18-year-old's on-field feats came largely on the back of his work off it, as Young's work ethic and desire to extract the best from himself saw his fitness and footballing levels lift in a big way. He played a key role in the Tigers' run to the Colts Grand Final in 10 high-quality outings, averaging 22.5 disposals and 6.3 clearances as his side's primary ball winner. His form was rewarded with a Western Australia draft combine invite come September, which he did not participate in ahead of the Grand Final. It also saw Young don the black and gold in his state's first Under 18 All-Stars fixture, though a calf injury ruled him out of the second clash. Given his father is player manager, Colin Young, Logan knows what it takes to make the elite grade and has done everything in his power to do so this year.

STRENGTHS:

• Contested ball
• Clearances
• Endurance
• Tackling
• Attitude/work rate
• Consistency

IMPROVEMENTS:

• Scoreboard impact
• Speed/agility

While inside midfielders are often restricted to work at the contest, Young is hardly bound by that and leans on his much-improved running capacity to also accumulate possessions elsewhere. Still, Young's best work is done on the inside so it makes for the best place to start. He went at a 60 per cent contested possession rate per his 10 WAFL Colts games in 2020, averaging 6.3 clearances among his 22.5 disposals. Much of Young's work saw him extract as Claremont's go-to ball winner and stand up to release his runners via hand. At 191cm, he used his bigger frame at the junior level to boss the engine room and was not afraid to use it on the defensive end either, averaging 7.6 tackles to prove his two-way tendencies.

Away from the stoppages, Young's endurance comes to the fore - something he developed significantly during preseason and throughout 2020. While not overly quick, Young was able to work his opponents over around the ground and get to important spots; whether that be helping out his defenders with an extra tall body on opposition breaks, or to receive as his own side countered and spread on the attack. From there, Young's vision was showcased with linking handballs and his decision making by foot, despite lacking a bit of polish and pop on his kicks at times. It meant Young was able to sustain a consistent impact across each game, while also doing so throughout the season as a whole. His lowest disposal haul was 17, which he notched thrice while getting up to as many as 31 in Round 2.

Part of that sustained impact comes down to his attitude and pure desire to work hard for the team. Young was given the captaincy honours in Round 2 and took out the Tigers' best and fairest award as recognition for his contribution across the whole season. Much of Young's improvement this year came down to his work ethic, so there is no reason why he cannot continue that trend. The next step in his development will be to better impact the scoreboard from midfield (two goals in 2020) and build his explosive athletic attributes. While strong at the contest, Young can still fill out his 191cm/83kg frame and add another dimension to his midfield craft with better bursts of speed. His 3.331-second 20m sprint in preseason is indicative of that but again, there is no reason why Young will not be able to rectify it with more hard work.

DRAFT PROJECTION: Late - Rookie

Young's attitude and leadership qualities will certainly have impressed recruiters on top of his footballing feats. After an impressive top-age campaign, the West Australian has put himself right into draft contention and the interest is there given he earned a draft combine invite. As somewhat of a bolter with some improvements left to be made, Young remains a late chance but could prove a gem given his strong endurance base, natural ball winning capacity, and elite work ethic.

FURTHER CONTENT:

Scouting Notes: WA U18 All-Stars Game 1
Scouting Notes: WAFL Colts Grand Final