VFL: Essendon small forward Danny Younan’s career-best year helping drive top-four tilt

DANNY Younan is a goalkicker enjoying a golden VFL season.

Danny Younan celebrates kicking a goal for Essendon this year. Picture: Scott Barbour.

DANNY Younan is a goalkicker enjoying a golden VFL season.

The Essendon small forward is in career-best form, bagging 21 goals in nine games to put himself in contention for the VFL’s Frosty Miller medal.

The award, which recognises the state league’s leading goalkicker, has traditionally been the domain of key forwards.

Port Melbourne’s Jordan Lisle (196cm) has finished at the top of the goalkicking chart twice in the past four seasons, while Cameron Shenton (188cm) and Jack Redpath (194cm) are other recipients of the award in recent years.

At 178cm, Younan gives defenders more worries on the ground than in the air.

The former Coburg player’s trickery inside 50 and tackle pressure have been crucial to Essendon’s push for a top-four finish in its first year under coach Dan Jordan.

“His pressure and contest as a small forward has been huge for us in keeping the ball in our forward line,” Jordan said.

“He’s also getting some good output on the scoreboard.

“If he keeps tracking like that he will kick 40 goals for the year and that’s a huge effort for a VFL small forward.”

Danny Younan evades Northern Blues defender Harrison Macreadie during a game earlier this year. Picture: Mark Dadswell.

Younan has never kicked more than 22 goals in one VFL campaign, a mark he set in the Development League in 2012.

The 25-year-old mixed his time between Northern league premier Bundoora and Windy Hill last year, featuring in eight VFL matches.

He has already eclipsed that number this year after being added to Essendon’s leadership group.

“He had a really big pre-season and probably got his body into the best shape it has been, even from his days at Coburg,” Jordan said.

“We knew he was set for a big year. He’s stepped up into our leadership group and has just thrived on that.”

Younan’s career-best five-goal haul against Frankston was the highlight of his season to date and he has underlined his consistency by kicking at least one major in every match.

Jordan has been more impressed by Younan’s forward-line pressure and he has averaged three tackles, 14 disposals and four marks per game.

“He’s just been really consistent for us and that is all we ask from him,” Jordan said.