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  1. #3256
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    Re: Following our ex's...................

    Lewis Young

    THE MOVE to Carlton didn't just help Lewis Young's footy.

    An introvert by nature, Young remembers his first days in navy blue as understandably intense. There were new names to remember, new teammates and coaches to win over, and a place in his new side to claim for himself. For the softly spoken and humble defender, it was a more daunting prospect than some might care to admit.

    But it presented Young with an opportunity. He set himself daily goals that, to some, might seem small. But on a personal level, they were significant. Whether it was introducing himself to someone new, or trying to go for lunch with a different person every day, each experience helped him spread his wings just that little bit more.

    Developing into a better footballer wasn't necessarily the end-goal of his attempts to become more comfortable in his new surroundings. But, with Carlton's burgeoning intercept king currently in the midst of a career-best stretch, it has had a pleasing effect on his performances as well.



    "For me, it's been small things. Being such a shy person, it's going out of my way to say good morning to someone or to sit down and have lunch with someone. It might sound silly, but it's a big thing for me," Young told AFL.com.au from Ikon Park this week.

    "It's something I've been working on since I was drafted. I came in as a very quiet kid, and I am still quite a quiet personality, so I've had to try and bring out that extroverted version of myself.

    "Something I figured out – probably only recently, but I wish I'd learned it a couple of years ago – is that if you can come out of your shell a bit, you actually play better yourself. You just feel more confident."

    Last Saturday, as Carlton recorded what senior coach Michael Voss later described as a "signature win" over a Fremantle side entrenched in the AFL's top four, Young could be seen barking orders to his younger teammates in his newfound role as the leader in the club's depleted backline.

    For Young, that might have seemed a foreign prospect to a more reserved version of himself just a few seasons ago. But now, at 23 years of age and ready to emerge as one of the League's best intercept defenders, it's a role that comes almost naturally.

    "Being a quiet personality off the field and then being able to flick a switch on the field, it's almost impossible. But if you're helping someone else, you feel like that's on you as well. You're not always too worried about a mistake here or there," Young said.

    "It's something I've only picked up recently. But if I can come out of my shell and help my teammates, it really helps me. Being able to do that for about eight months now, it's put me in a position where I feel comfortable enough to tell people things on the field and give them feedback – whether that's good or bad.

    "Then, going back to my teammates, we're all learning to be really good at receiving feedback. Being comfortable receiving feedback, it makes you more confident to give it in a way. I've just felt like my teammates around me have made me feel so empowered to be able to do that.

    "In hindsight, I wish I'd learned that five years ago. But I'm glad I've learned that now. That's been a massive piece of advice from (senior coach) Michael Voss and (backline coach) Aaron Hamill, they've taught me that and that's what is coming out in my game I believe."

    Through unfortunate circumstances, Young has almost become the last man standing in Carlton's under-siege backline. A series of injuries to the club's top-tier key-position players has decimated the Blues' defensive stocks and has forced a significant reliance on the former Dog's availability and improvement.

    In many ways, it has shone a deserving spotlight on Young's importance. Not only has he enjoyed a series of outstanding performances this season, particularly over the last month in the recent absence of the in-form Jacob Weitering, but he's done it while enduring a revolving door of defensive partners.

    In his last four games, Young has amassed 55 spoils (ranked No.1 in the AFL) and 35 intercept possessions (ranked No.5). He's done it while partnering Weitering against Collingwood, Caleb Marchbank against Essendon, Sam Durdin against Richmond, and then Brodie Kemp against Fremantle.

    This week, with Weitering, Marchbank and Durdin still sidelined, he'll again be joined by Kemp in tackling one of the game's best young key forwards as the club faces St Kilda and its spearhead Max King in its annual 'Carlton Respects' match.

    Not only have the continual spate of defensive injuries impacted the Blues' preparations for such encounters on a week-to-week basis, but they have also heaped additional responsibility on Young's shoulders and have been an early test of his more extroverted personality.

    "It's funny how it all works out. I'm in this position at the moment where a lot of guys around me have gotten injured unfortunately. But that's the way footy is. You develop relationships … 'Marchy' had been in rehab for a long time, 'Durds' had been there for a week and 'Kempy' had been playing in the VFL a lot," Young said.

    "I hadn't played a lot of games with those guys and that's probably the main thing I had to work with them on. We had to get that connection. It's quite a simple thing to do, just communicate and be there for one another. But it is also quite complex because you don't know each other's small attributes that pop up in games.

    "That's one thing that I've really had to work on, and they're the same coming in to play with me. They have to come in and learn those small things as well. But if everyone can get their role right, then you play to your strengths."

    For Young, the improved patch of form comes after virtually having to re-learn some of the key elements of playing in the backline after the last off-season's trade from the Western Bulldogs.

    It's easy to forget that Young played two finals for the Dogs last year on the club's way to securing a Grand Final berth against Melbourne, but did so in an unnatural ruck role forced by the ongoing absence of veteran Stef Martin.

    Initially drafted as an intercepting defender from Sturt in South Australia, Young spent 24 games across five seasons at the Whitten Oval being thrown around in a variety of different posts that culminated in being asked to challenge Sam Draper and Oscar McInerney in September.

    He crossed to Carlton – essentially in exchange for Sam Petrevski-Seton after a three-way deal that also involved West Coast – as a means of "rejuvenating his career". The Blues liked his ability to play in the backline, and Young liked the idea of going back to the position where he felt most comfortable.

    But there was teething pain. Young hadn't played in the role where he'd made his name for quite some time and was even leapfrogged in the Carlton pecking order throughout the season's early stages by rookie Oscar McDonald.

    But a season-ending back injury to McDonald, as well as further long-term injuries to fellow defenders Mitch McGovern and Luke Parks, opened the door for Young. After a solid stretch in the VFL side, he has now played 11 of the last 12 senior games – missing one after entering the AFL's health and safety protocols – and hasn't looked back. A spot in the Blues' backline is undoubtedly his to keep.

    "The biggest thing I had to go back on was playing on my instinct. One of the things I'm quite good at is reading the ball. My instincts are quite good to read the ball and see the game pretty well," Young said.

    "Even earlier this year, when I wasn't in the AFL side, I wasn't doing that as much as I'd like. I was just nervous coming into a new team and trying to earn respect. Once I came out of my shell a bit and started playing on my instincts, it really helped me. The last couple of weeks, that's shown in my game.

    "I haven't been overthinking things. I've done a lot of work with our psychologist here, Dr Tarah Kavanagh, who worked with me on cutting the game up into pieces. If you make a mistake, you move on. You cut that piece out and you go to the next piece of the pie. It might be a quarter, it might be minutes in a game, a goal, whatever it is … you cut it up and you go back to playing on your instincts."

    But for Young, even that short period in the VFL earlier in the season was used as an opportunity to grow. As much as he's enjoyed his football at his new home, he's enjoyed the journey so far just as much.

    "More than anything, when I came to Carlton, I had this dream idea that I'd walk in and play 100 games in a row and that me and Jacob Weitering would form the best backline ever," Young laughed.

    "You have all of these dreams, so that really gave me a kick up the bum. If I couldn't do things to the ability that I needed to, I wouldn't be playing. There wasn't really a line in the sand moment, it was just the build-up of a few things.

    "Coming to a new club, I can't understate how hard it is. You've got to come in and learn all of the players and their attributes and try to get involved with the coaches. It's quite a big step. So, mentally for me, it was quite an intense period there. I feel like I might not have had the balance right between working on my relationships and playing. I had that a bit off.

    "I felt like that period where I wasn't getting picked and I was playing in the VFL helped me grow. If anything, it was actually a blessing in disguise. No one wants to be missing out, but at the end of the day it made me feel more comfortable at the club."
    Western Bulldogs Football Club "Where it's cool to drool"

  2. #3257
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    Re: Following our ex's...................

    That's hard to read.

    He should be our key defender.
    W00F!

  3. Likes josie liked this post
  4. #3258
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    Re: Following our ex's...................

    No amount of AFL endorsed agitprop is gonna make me yearn for Lewis Young at CHB.
    - I'm a visionary - Only here to confirm my biases -

  5. Likes Bulldog4life, EasternWest liked this post
  6. #3259
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    Re: Following our ex's...................

    Quote Originally Posted by Happy Days View Post
    No amount of AFL endorsed agitprop is gonna make me yearn for Lewis Young at CHB.
    Tell me how you feel about Gardner
    W00F!

  7. #3260
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    Re: Following our ex's...................

    So he moved clubs and grew up a bit?
    Nobody's looking for a puppeteer in today's wintry economic climate.

  8. #3261
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    Re: Following our ex's...................

    Quitting as coach of a local footy team halfway through a season isn't a great look.

  9. #3262
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    Re: Following our ex's...................

    Quote Originally Posted by Axe Man View Post
    Quitting as coach of a local footy team halfway through a season isn't a great look.
    They've pretty much deleted him from their Facebook page. Interesting. I sense a scandal.. Or most likely from my experience of country footy a punch up at an event!
    What rumour mongering?

  10. #3263
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    Re: Following our ex's...................

    Quote Originally Posted by The Bulldogs Bite View Post
    That's hard to read.

    He should be our key defender.
    Agree. But, he would be competing with Chief. Not going to work

  11. #3264
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    Re: Following our ex's...................

    Quote Originally Posted by Happy Days View Post
    No amount of AFL endorsed agitprop is gonna make me yearn for Lewis Young at CHB.
    Nothing I saw from Lewis in Carlton's loss last night will make me lose sleep over his departure. Sorry Lewis and his fans on WOOF.

  12. #3265
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    Re: Following our ex's...................

    Quote Originally Posted by Bulldog4life View Post
    Nothing I saw from Lewis in Carlton's loss last night will make me lose sleep over his departure. Sorry Lewis and his fans on WOOF.
    He's an average player at best.

  13. #3266
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    Re: Following our ex's...................

    It's time we let it go.

    He seems a nice kid, it didn't work out with us for various reasons, he's doing ok at his new club and I haven't lost a seconds sleep over him moving on.

    Let's get back to bagging Stringer and his shit tatts and fat gut and chronic underperformance.
    "It's over. It's all over."

  14. #3267
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    Re: Following our ex's...................

    Quote Originally Posted by EasternWest View Post
    It's time we let it go.

    He seems a nice kid, it didn't work out with us for various reasons, he's doing ok at his new club and I haven't lost a seconds sleep over him moving on.

    Let's get back to bagging Stringer and his shit tatts and fat gut and chronic underperformance.
    It's nothing against Lewis, its just the beating over the head with how great he is and how stupid the stupid idiot Bulldogs are for letting such a talent go, when it's blatantly clear to anyone who actually watches the games (too much to ask for 95% of the AFL media apparently) that he's exactly the same limited guy who is bottled anxiety with the ball in hand that he was with us.
    - I'm a visionary - Only here to confirm my biases -

  15. Likes bornadog, Bulldog4life liked this post
  16. #3268
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    Re: Following our ex's...................

    Stringer is fat though.
    - I'm a visionary - Only here to confirm my biases -

  17. Likes The bulldog tragician, bornadog liked this post
  18. #3269
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    Re: Following our ex's...................

    Stringer was the difference in the last.....or so the media will say.

    Truth was he played exceptionally well in the last but the Bombers were excellent across the board when it counted.
    Nobody's looking for a puppeteer in today's wintry economic climate.

  19. #3270
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    Re: Following our ex's...................

    Quote Originally Posted by GVGjr View Post
    Jackson Trengove: Mooroopna signs former AFL player ahead of June 30 clearance deadline

    The biggest name up for grabs before the June 30 clearance deadline has finally settled on where he will play. Find out where he has signed.

    Jackson Trengove has joined Goulburn Valley league finals contender Mooroopna on the final day before clearances close for the season.

    The former Western Bulldogs and Port Adelaide key position player departed Barooga earlier this month where he was in his first season as coach after joining the Murray league club as a player in 2021.



    Trengove has played the last two matches for the Southern Mallee Giants in the Wimmera league, but was keen to stay in the Goulburn-Murray region on a more permanent basis.

    He signed today with Mooroopna for the remainder of this season and 2023, and will play his first game for the club against Kyabram on July 9.

    “I understand it is a young list but I have always enjoyed the mentoring side of helping young players and I will get the opportunity to do that at Mooroopna,” he said.

    Mooroopna is sitting third on the Goulburn Valley ladder behind Echuca and Euroa under coach John Lamont, who first joined the club in the role in 2020.

    He previously coached Werribee in the VFL.

    “Sometimes the harder you work the luckier you get and we as a club have been working very hard here on a number of fronts and now we are enjoying a little bit of luck,” Lamont said.

    Trengove will join Mooroopna as a seven point player, but club president Bill Dowling said it had plenty of space available to accommodate the former AFL player.

    “We played with 30 points last weekend,” Dowling said.

    “We’ve got no issue with points whatsoever.”
    Hopefully he gets a loss in his first game at Mooroopna haha. Chatted to him in a cafe in Cobram dropping of sone cakes, seemed like a nice guy. But to walk out on a club midseason he must have done something pretty shit
    The curse is dead.

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