Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir has declared that Hayden Young's three game-breaking goals in the second half of Friday night's victory over the Western Bulldogs are precisely why the club retained him in the midfield despite a series of injury setbacks in recent seasons.
The Dockers came from behind to secure a 17.12 (114) to 15.12 (102) win, registering their seventh consecutive victory. They rebounded from a poor first half, which Longmuir described as having "horrific" pressure, with Young turning the match on its head.
Young kicked two goals within two minutes during the third term and then added an extraordinary banana goal from the forward pocket in the final quarter.
The left-footer has only managed 13 games over the last two seasons due to injury, prompting calls for Fremantle to shift him to half-back. However, Longmuir insisted that match-winners like Young must play in the midfield.
"He got some looks and finished off his work. I get asked why we don't play him at half back. That's why we don't play him at half back," Longmuir said.
"Because when he gets on a tear like that and gets the ball forward of centre, you see what he is capable of. It was good for him and good for us that he got a lick of the ice cream."
Longmuir was visibly frustrated at quarter time when his team trailed by 26 points, and his fears about being ambushed by an undermanned Bulldogs side were materialising.
But Fremantle's leaders stood tall, with Shai Bolton continuing his exceptional form. The Dockers led by just four points at three-quarter time, but Bolton amassed 11 disposals, five clearances, and kicked a goal in the final term.
Longmuir praised the way Bolton led the team when the Bulldogs launched a late comeback, highlighting his class under pressure.
"He just bobs up all game, but I was really proud of the way he handled the last five minutes of the game," Longmuir said.
"He wants to have his hands on the ball when the game is on the line. I think he had 16 score involvements across the day."
While the win, combined with Hawthorn's draw on Thursday night, has the Dockers now in an outright top-two position, Longmuir acknowledged there are still areas of concern. He warned that his team cannot continue to allow opponents to fight back late in games.
"We're struggling at the moment when we get in front," he said.
"We handle the tight moments. When there's a goal in it, we handle those moments really well. But we need to be better than that. We shouldn't let them back in the game. There are a couple of things we can be more mature with and not allow that to happen."
