Is Lewis Young showing more than ever before?

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Is Lewis Young showing more than ever before?

August 02, 2026, 12:49:08 pm

The last couple of games from Lewis Young have revealed a less tentative, less panicked player than previously.

Is this a result of how Fraser is using him or has he simply cast off his ultra-defensive mindset?

Was his previous role as a panic-prone defender an imposition of the coaching at the time?

Is it a coincidence that his recent form has come when Weitering has been absent? Was he hamstrung by being required to play second fiddle to Weitering and having to try to cover whichever forward Weitering chose to switch from?

Or are the recent games a flash in the pan that will be revealed as such if he reverts to previous habits?

Re: Is Lewis Young showing more than ever before?

Reply #1 – August 02, 2026, 12:56:00 pm

Been saying it for a while, he is no where near as bad as people make out. In fact, he's been pretty darn good. Plays his role, is team first, excellent solider.

Re: Is Lewis Young showing more than ever before?

Reply #2 – August 02, 2026, 02:06:56 pm

Quote from: Gointocarlton – on August 02, 2026, 12:56:00 pm

Been saying it for a while, he is no where near as bad as people make out. In fact, he's been pretty darn good. Plays his role, is team first, excellent solider.

He certainly has put his best foot forward and will probably be retained. His footy smarts yesterday were something we haven't always seen. Hopefully, he can continue that.

Re: Is Lewis Young showing more than ever before?

Reply #3 – August 02, 2026, 02:30:03 pm

One of the best quarters of football I've seen from a Carlton player in the last 4 or 5 years was Lewis Young playing all over the ground in a VFL game...he tore it apart.
No indecision, no tentativeness.
I felt sure he was headed back to the seniors....
Then around quarter time he got injured.
Yes, it was VFL but he was a class above.

Re: Is Lewis Young showing more than ever before?

Reply #4 – August 02, 2026, 04:14:18 pm

For mine, hes a better player sans weitering.

I reckon weitering asks him to do stuff that he doesnt necessarily agree with which is why he plays a more instinctive game without weiters.

Re: Is Lewis Young showing more than ever before?

Reply #5 – August 02, 2026, 04:33:15 pm

At the moment Young is rucking and floating forward, and it's Pitto doing the D50 end, it helped let Harry and Kemp off the hook. Young doesn't have to be as accountable in F50, he can move to space and make himself an option and teams aren't standing a close defender on him, but that won't persist. On top of this, right at the moment at least, he has the perfect coach to get the most out of him by using him in his best role.

In D50 Young gets caught out in no man's land ball watching, he's not needed there at the moment because we have Derksen and Dean doing a job. In this regard he is miles off Weitering, Dean or Derksen, they do no hesitate they just back themselves in to influence the contest.

As I watched last night I was thinking the Lions were making the same mistake with Hipwood that we made with Young, just because someone has the size and shape doesn't mean they will make it as a defender.

As much as I like the two rucks, I suspect when Weitering is back Young might be the out, with Derksen filling the F50 role, Derksen is now probably our 3rd best contested mark and getting better just behind Weitering and Harry. I think Derksen could easily fill the role left vacant by Charlie, and float to wherever he is needed. In my opinion he's a great get, who recruited him?

Re: Is Lewis Young showing more than ever before?

Reply #6 – August 02, 2026, 05:02:16 pm

Quote from: crashlander – on August 02, 2026, 02:06:56 pm

Quote from: Gointocarlton – on August 02, 2026, 12:56:00 pm
Been saying it for a while, he is no where near as bad as people make out. In fact, he's been pretty darn good. Plays his role, is team first, excellent solider.
He certainly has put his best foot forward and will probably be retained. His footy smarts yesterday were something we haven't always seen. Hopefully, he can continue that.

Did you notice the quick gives to runners going by instead of vital seconds of procrastination and poor decision making? He has been reliable and playing his role.

Re: Is Lewis Young showing more than ever before?

Reply #7 – August 02, 2026, 05:10:38 pm

Forward, back, ruck with or without weitering.... its all irrelevant.

Young is a confidence player. When his confidence is high, he can do what you need him too.
When his confidence is shot, he's a witches hat.

Right now is high. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Re: Is Lewis Young showing more than ever before?

Reply #8 – August 02, 2026, 06:04:26 pm

In the game against the Suns, Lewis Young took a mark at CHB, faked a handpass to a teammate behind him, then played on past wrongfooted opponents. It was not what I would have expected from Young but it now seems to be the way he's playing. His round the corner goal and deft tap on for Frankie's goal are what you'd expect from a confident player enjoying the game and not feeling pressure to perform.

His ruckwork is barely competitive, but he gives it a crack, and he demands a KPD when he goes forward, making life easier for our other talls. His work in defence is still his bread and butter. Although he does tend to be on the end of some defensive breakdowns, we're losing nothing when it's his turn to man an opposition KPF or resting ruck.

Who knows why, I just hope that he can keep it up!

Re: Is Lewis Young showing more than ever before?

Reply #9 – August 02, 2026, 06:59:08 pm

Quote from: LP – on August 02, 2026, 04:33:15 pm

At the moment Young is rucking and floating forward, and it's Pitto doing the D50 end, it helped let Harry and Kemp off the hook. Young doesn't have to be as accountable in F50, he can move to space and make himself an option and teams aren't standing a close defender on him, but that won't persist. On top of this, right at the moment at least, he has the perfect coach to get the most out of him by using him in his best role.

In D50 Young gets caught out in no man's land ball watching, he's not needed there at the moment because we have Derksen and Dean doing a job. In this regard he is miles off Weitering, Dean or Derksen, they do no hesitate they just back themselves in to influence the contest.

As I watched last night I was thinking the Lions were making the same mistake with Hipwood that we made with Young, just because someone has the size and shape doesn't mean they will make it as a defender.

As much as I like the two rucks, I suspect when Weitering is back Young might be the out, with Derksen filling the F50 role, Derksen is now probably our 3rd best contested mark and getting better just behind Weitering and Harry. I think Derksen could easily fill the role left vacant by Charlie, and float to wherever he is needed. In my opinion he's a great get, who recruited him?

agree. much easy as a floating PT forward/ruck then being undersized as a key defender.

he is doing well in the new role but equally makes you appreciate the holding down of key posts the 2 kids in dean and dersken are doing ad that is not easy and they have held up extremely well considering neither have played 20 games!

Re: Is Lewis Young showing more than ever before?

Reply #10 – August 02, 2026, 07:03:52 pm

Quote from: shawny – on August 02, 2026, 06:59:08 pm

he is doing well in the new role but equally makes you appreciate the holding down of key posts the 2 kids in dean and dersken are doing ad that is not easy and they have held up extremely well considering neither have played 20 games!

Agree, he is doing well, getting the best out of himself, and it does help highlight Derksen and Dean.

I think it was @Lods who was right about Derksen.

Re: Is Lewis Young showing more than ever before?

Reply #11 – Today at 07:21:12 am

I was scrolling through and happened across this thread.
It was only a bit over a month ago...but it all went pear shaped for Lewis.

What happened?
Was it the pressure of finals?
Was it how he was used in recent times...not really settling or having a fixed role.

Or was what we were seeing back then 'just a flash' in the pan and not sustainable.

The common denominator seemed to have been "confidence".
He had periods where he didn't seem to believe in himself or his own ability....and that led to the hesitation.

At the end of the day his delisting wasn't as surprising as it would have been a month ago... and there's probably not a lot of argument over the decision to cut him loose.

It will be interesting to see who we replace him with, and whether he gets another opportunity elsewhere.

Re: Is Lewis Young showing more than ever before?

Reply #12 – Today at 07:52:15 am

Quote from: Lods – on Today at 07:21:12 am

It will be interesting to see who we replace him with, and whether he gets another opportunity elsewhere.

HoF is still growing, recovering, building strength, like many talls he'll be a late developer, he's been forgotten by fans. With a bit of luck he'll be our tall swingman in 2027, and unlike players who get "converted", HoF has played both F50 and D50 throughout his whole junior career.