Fremantle midfielder Hayden Young says he is hoping for an uninterrupted pre-season following a post-season trip to Aspetar in Doha.
Speaking at his Monday afternoon media conference, Young explained how he only completed a minimal amount of pre-season leading into 2025, but following work with renowned Head of Elite Performance and Development Dr. Enda King at Aspetar, he is feeling confident in his body once again.
“I’ve had a really good off-season,” Young said.
“I’ve had some time to get away and refresh the mind, which is really important, and I spent a week in Doha training and doing a little bit to help myself for the season.
“I felt really good today on the track and I’ve had a really good off-season where I haven’t missed any sessions, and I’m feeling really good coming back.”
Talking about his trip to Aspetar, Young explained his visit was more about gaining confidence in his body again following an up-and-down, injury-interrupted 2025.
“I’m feeling really optimistic about 2026,” Young said.
“The reality is, last year I completed 27% of pre-season, so it’s not like I need a secret formula, it’s just about getting out there, doing the work and training.
“Last year I had a broken leg (sustained in the R24 loss to Port Adelaide) and didn’t complete much of my off-season program. This year I completed it all.
“Breaking my leg was outside of my control, it just sort of happened, and then I was just playing catch-up after that.
“Having an off-season where I’ve been fit and healthy and able to train has put me in a good spot where I don’t feel as vulnerable, and hopefully I can just keep stacking sessions this summer.”
With the full squad in for the first official day of pre-season, Young said both familiar and new faces impressed, adding that the team would look to push the limits this preseason.
“From our list last year, we haven’t had a lot of turnover in terms of our best 23, so it’s that next wave of young players that are coming in, pushing for spots and making competition really hard,” Young said.
“That’s what I’ve seen so far.
“We want to create an environment where we fail so we get to learn from those experiences.
“If we go through pre-season and we aren’t testing ourselves and we aren’t making mistakes or failing, then we aren’t improving or getting growth in our game.”
Freo’s next main training session will take place on Friday 5 December at the Club’s Cockburn headquarters.
