FREMANTLE star Hayden Young is taking a "no fear" mantra into games after recovering from his latest hamstring setback, with the gun ball-winner gaining confidence in his body after an impressive return against West Coast.
Young made a seamless return in Western Derby 62, racking up 23 disposals and a game-high eight inside 50s from managed game time in his first game since suffering a hamstring strain against Geelong in round one.
While that was a frustrating blow for the 25-year-old after three hamstring injuries and a round of surgery in 2025, Young said his hard work in rehab had allowed him to keep his focus on the game and not worry about potential re-injury.
"I've gone in with the mantra of just having no fear and whatever happens, happens," Young told AFL.com.au.
"My head is in a really good spot and I'm already thinking about what I need to work on in my game. I'm not really worried about my hamstring anymore.
"I think that's a testament to all the work that I have done that I don't have any concerns.
"My head is in the game, which is good, because I'd rather it be there than in my body. Now I'm just looking forward to stacking some games together, keep improving, and hopefully becoming more consistent."
While there were clear reasons for Young's hamstring injuries last year after a severely interrupted pre-season that saw him complete only 27 per cent of the program, the midfielder was left scratching his head this time after a full summer of training and practice matches.
As a result, the Dockers' medical team went to great lengths to gather as much information as possible, scanning and completing ultrasounds on the injury every week during his recovery to track the healing process.
That detailed approach, as well as other changes in his rehab exercises, gave Young confidence that he had done everything possible to make a successful return.
"Early on there was a lot of frustration, but then you get past that and I was really pleased with the medical team's ability to adapt and be really thorough," Young said.
"It makes me feel really confident that we've done everything we possibly can.
"We scanned it and did ultrasounds once a week to just see how it was healing and to give us more information, which is pretty uncommon.
"That just made me feel a lot more confident that the hamstring was healing and I was in a good position. Then there were a few little tweaks with attention to detail and exercises that we added, and a few different things on the track with my running mechanics.
"The reality is I could go out there and I could still get injured, so you just never know. But I feel really confident in the work I've done."
Young said he had felt the benefits of a full pre-season during Sunday's 56-point win, as well as the strengthening work he had done on his hamstrings last year, including during a trip to renowned rehabilitation clinic Aspetar in Doha.
The star left-footer rotated between the midfield and a deep forward role, using the ball with his trademark polish and creating confusion among the West Coast defence as he switched positions.
His return gave Fremantle its full complement of midfielders and highlighted the depth now at hand for coach Justin Longmuir, with Young able to slot back in alongside key players Caleb Serong, Andrew Brayshaw, Murphy Reid and Shai Bolton.
Big improvers Matthew Johnson and Neil Erasmus were also able to play influential roles as they grow in stature this season, with Young highlighting the selfless approach the Fremantle midfield was taking in 2026.
"I think it's a strength of our team that we don't necessarily need everyone to feast, but someone is going to have a good day and someone is going to get on top," he said.
"The reality is we all want to complement each other and we want to be the best midfield group. We don't necessarily have to have the best player or players.
"There's going to be days where one of us might pop up and have a big day. But the reality is we just want to complement each other and play to each other's strengths."
