Whether it be Luke McDonald’s move to the wing, Jack Ziebell’s transition to defence, or Kayne Turner’s stint in the midfield, North Melbourne Kangaroos coach David Noble appears to place a high priority on cultivating versatility on his list.
It seems there’s no place he values it more than the wing, with most, if not all, wing options on the list capable of either floating back into defence, pushing forward into the attacking 50, or cutting in-field to supplement the midfield.
For Lachie Young, a half-back flanker by trade, his 2021 could easily be defined by the addition of that much-valued versatility, as he finished his campaign gaining experience on the wing.
A mainstay in the senior side early in the season, Young says he’s happy to play wherever the coaches want him to.
“I really enjoyed adding a bit more versatility into my game and playing both positions last year,” Young told North Media.
“My preferred position would probably be coming off the half-back flank, and I think with the way we’re going to look to defend this year, playing there is going to help the way I like to play the game.
“I’ll probably start working towards nailing down a spot at half-back early on, but I certainly won’t be closing the door on playing on the wing either.
“As much as I like playing in defence, I also really enjoyed being able to push a bit higher up the ground later in the year as well.”
As he enters his second season at North Melbourne and fourth in the AFL, Young is no longer one of the new faces at Arden Street.
He joined the club after a trade and draft period ahead of the 2021 campaign, entering the doors at Arden Street as one of 11 new faces alongside the likes of Jaidyn Stephenson, Will Phillips, and Aidan Corr.
He says he’s looking forward to building on the bonds he created with his teammates last season, and starting new ones with the club’s new recruits.
“I built some really good relationships last year, and I could continue bonding with the boys in the off-season,” he said.
“It was nice to be able to have a few extra social things in the off-season as opposed to last year when we were a bit locked down and restricted.
“I know when I moved across there was a lot that was slightly different to the club I’d come from, so even giving the new boys a few tips to adapt to life here has helped build some new bonds.
"They’re a really good bunch of lads, and they’ve all got different skillsets too, which is good for us.
"Paul Curtis has an elite left leg, ‘Horney’ (Jason Horne-Francis) is just an inside bull, Miller (Bergman) and (Josh) Goater will be really quick on the outside, and obviously ‘Arch’ (Jackson Archer) is just ‘Arch’.
"A couple of them are a bit lean so they’ll need to hit the weight room in pre-season, but we’ve got a really good mix in this group.”
Some fans may have struggled to spot Young in the club’s off-season and pre-season coverage to date, with the 22-year-old changing his look ahead of the new season.
Gone are the flowing locks everyone has become acquainted with, as the number 17’s hair was given the chop in the off-season.
"I think it was just time for a change. I’d had it long for about five years so I thought I’d just change up the look,” he said.
"I’ve actually timed it well. The weather’s actually been that hot in the first couple of sessions back. The whole off-season’s been cold but as soon as we’re back it’s been 30 degrees and sunny.”
