Hayden Young says his switch to the midfield has been in the works for some time, however both Young and Senior Coach Justin Longmuir are not ready to call him a full-time midfielder just yet.
 
Drafted as a gun half back at no.7 in the 2019 National Draft, Young has been excellent running with Patrick Dangerfield and Lachie Neale over the past fortnight.
 
He arguably had a bigger impact in the middle than both of his opponents, with Young racking up 29 disposals, 15 contested possessions, 10 tackles and seven clearances against the Lions.
 
Young said shadowing Neale was ideal for him to find his feet in the engine room.
 
“The good thing about that Lachie Neale is wherever he goes, the ball usually follows,” Young told 96FM.
 
“I just tried to stick close to him and found the football a little bit myself. It was a good challenge for me and I enjoyed playing there.”

Young is in his fourth season at Fremantle, playing 54 games, and said he has been eyeing moving up the ground.
 
“I'm certainly learning a lot as I'm going, and I suppose it's something that I've had my eye on for a while,” Young said.
 
“I feel like I'm more prepared than some might think. I've been working away in the background, learning the midfield craft and it's been great to get my opportunity.
 
“The boys in the midfield have really been helping me out, sorting me out with stoppages and getting me organised.
 
“From there, I'm just able to play, that's what I did on the weekend and it was really good fun.”
 
Young said he was excited for the RAC Derby challenge that awaits on Saturday night, but said he wasn’t sure if he will continue in the midfield.
 
“It's a big week, one of my favourite weeks of the year,” Young said.
 
“The good thing about derby week is, wherever the teams are positioned on the ladder, you know it's always going to be a fierce battle and a close game.”
 
Speaking on 7News, Longmuir said Young would continue to get at least some midfield time for the rest of the season.
 
“There was a lot to like on the weekend and to like the last two weeks,” Young told 7NEWS.
 
“We’ll look to give him opportunity in there in the last three games.
 
“We haven’t made a call on whether he’s a full-blown midfielder yet, but his performances have been really promising.”

Young paid tribute to his fellow backline teammate Brennan Cox, who will reach the 100 game milestone against West Coast.
 
“He's been a really consistent player for us for a number of years now we all know that when he's on the park, we're a better team,” Young said.
 
“When he's out there, he's a really strong player. It's a great achievement to reach 100 games.”

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