Something of a draft bolter, Charlie Lazzaro is a versatile attacking player who holds the rare and highly sought-after combination of elite agility and endurance.

An inside-midfielder through his junior years, he’s equally at home on the wing or in the forward line, with his natural work ethic and defensive pressure proving a nightmare for opposition players to deal with.

He averaged 20 disposals a game as a bottom-ager for the Geelong Falcons, and uses his vision and clean hands to consistently find targets through traffic.

North Melbourne debut: Round 1, 2021

2021: After making is senior debut as the medical substitute in Round 1, Lazzaro went on to make ten appearances at AFL level in 2021.

Spending most of his time on the wing or in the forward line, he showed character and poise when given the opportunity to run with the ball, with his brilliant goal in round two a perfect indication of his ability as he burst through the centre square to finish from 45 metres out.

Playing nine of the first ten games of the season, Lazzaro was dropped to VFL level and given the chance to accumulate possessions in the midfield, tasked with winning the ball at stoppages for the reserve side.

Strong performances against the likes of Werribee (18 disposals, 9 tackles), Footscray (29 disposals, 1 goal), Port Melbourne (26 disposals, 1 goal) catapulted him back into senior contention, coming back into the side for his final senior game for the year in Round 18.

Arguably, the strongest aspects of Lazzaro’s game involve his character and mentality, with the now 19-year-old displaying levels of maturity and professionalism that often take years to cultivate.

Should he maintain those attributes and continue his on-field development, he could well be a valuable contributor in a variety of roles in 2022.