Leongatha talent Xavier Lindsay's strong 2024 campaign was capped off with Morrish Medal honours, with the inside-outside midfield threat also a leading piece for Vic Country and with the AFL Academy this year.
Lindsay took out the Talent League's best and fairest award with 21 votes from 12 games, polling in eight matches - including four successive three-vote performances before suffering a year-ending PCL injury.
The Gippsland Power star averaged 23.4 disposals, 9.3 handball receives, 5.4 clearances and 5.2 inside 50s per game in the Talent League to be named in the Team of the Year, with Lindsay earning the same honours following a promising U18s National Championships with Vic Country also.
At the higher level, Lindsay was among his side's most consistent across the carnival and finished his three-game spell on a high against Vic Metro in the decider, recording 30 disposals, 11 marks and eight tackles.
The classy ball-winner has proven to be a damaging contested figure at the coalface who can also break away from the pack with his pace, while a desirable left foot also does his stocks no harm.
His ability to play on the outside has developed from duties across half-back in recent years, with Lindsay among the standouts in last year's U17s Future Stars game on grand final day as a running backman. He held a similar role for the AFL Academy in his return from injury against Footscray, recording 16 disposals against VFL opposition in a heavy loss.
Lindsay's ability to be an inside midfield asset, offer run and burst on the outside and use his left foot to split open the opposition earns him comparisons with Essendon captain Zach Merrett.
Lindsay looms as a bonafide first-round draft selection who could land as early as the top 10, but will have the strongest interest a few spots back as clubs like Richmond (Picks 10, 11 and 18), Port Adelaide (Pick 13), GWS (Picks 15 and 16) and the Western Bulldogs (Pick 17) hold teen selections.
Position: Midfielder
Height: 183cm
State: Victoria
Club: Leongatha
Inside-Outside Threat
Kicking
Speed
Output
Pick 10-20
Richmond (Picks 10, 11 and 18)
Port Adelaide (Pick 13)
GWS (Picks 15 and 16)
Western Bulldogs (Pick 17)
Zach Merrett
Sam Flanders
"A left-footed medium defender and midfielder who displayed enormous footy nous in reading the cues to win the ball before making good decisions when distributing. A neat kick and aggressive tackler, he also showed good natural speed and agility." - Kevin Sheehan