Toby McLean is no young pup despite playing just 45 AFL games

TOBY McLean describes it as a “weird feeling”. He is 22 and has played just 45 AFL games, but inside the Western Bulldogs locker room last week the premiership player feels like a veteran.

Toby McLean jumps on teammates Tom Boyd in the 2016 Grand Final. Picture: Getty Images

TOBY McLean describes it as a “weird feeling”.

The Western Bulldogs premiership player is 22 and played just his 45th AFL game last weekend.

But looking around the Ballarat locker room he noticed he was no young pup.

“I’m sort of 40 games in and in my fourth year, and I think there’s about eight or nine under me that haven’t played as many games,” McLean said.

“It’s different. I’m not as vocal as say a Lachie Hunter, but I try to lead by example on the field.”

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Actually, there were 11 teammates with less AFL experience than McLean against Gold Coast. If he was at Sydney or Essendon there would’ve been only five or six

But the 2016 premiers have fielded the youngest line-up in each of the first seven rounds and will again in Round 8. They have also fielded the least experienced 22 every week.

On Saturday night against the Brisbane Lions they will trot out a team with an average of just 55 games and 22.5 years, opposed to the winless Lions’ 80 games and 24.4 years.

Matthew Suckling is the only Bulldog in Saturday night’s side to have blown out 26 birthday candles.

Last week Hunter, 23, captained the Dogs.

“Third man in line, but he did a great job,” McLean said.

Skipper Easton Wood (hamstring) and vice-captain Marcus Bontempelli, 22, (hip) were out, and Hunter got the nod in a lineball call over Jason Johannisen to toss the coin.

Bontempelli’s absence left a hole in the centre circle and McLean helped fill it.

Usually, McLean “partners up” with Brownlow Medal chance Jackson Macrae.

“If you’re in a partnership one of us has to be in there (the centre bounce) — that’s all you’ve got to worry about it,” McLean said.

“(Macrae) loves the centre bounce so I sort of let him do his work, but (last week) it was me and Jongy. We sort of did a bit more 50-50 which I think worked for us.”

Toby McLean played his 45th AFL games last weekend. Picture: Getty Images

Last week McLean attended 56 per cent of centre bounces, up from 39 per cent in the first six rounds.

For a player who judges his game on physicality, it was a good result.

“I love it — I love being around the ball and being hard over it and sticking my tackles,” McLean said.

“If I’m being physical and laying hard tackles then everything flows from there.”

McLean stuck a career-best 13 tackles last week to go with a career-high 33 disposals, most after Gold Coast man-child Brayden Crossley ironed him out with a hip-and-shoulder.

Coach Luke Beveridge said it was among McLean’s best games.

“(It was) when you throw in the 13 tackles with the quality and quantity of his other involvements,” he said.

“With Marcus going out he took on a bit more responsibility as an inside mid and it was a really important game for us. He was influential.”

McLean isn’t the only pup tracking steeply upwards.

Rookie and Carlton discard Billy Gowers, who was just about hand-picked by Beveridge, has added spunk and energy close to goal.

Gowers made his debut in Round 1 and is one of just five AFL players to have kicked a goal in each of the first seven rounds — alongside Mark LeCras, Jesse Hogan, Will Hoskin-Elliott and James Stewart.

With Dale Morris (knee) and Marcus Adams (ankle) sidelined, Aaron Naughton has held down a key defensive post in every game.

Toby McLean is having a brilliant season. Picture: Michael Klein

Naughton was drafted at No.9 as a 17-year-old last November.

“He’s been outstanding,” Beveridge said.

“I don’t know what his intercept tallies are comparatively, but he takes a lot of intercept marks, he’s brave and he’s starting to use the ball better as well.”

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Naughton, who helped Wood defend Buddy Franklin in Round 4, averages 7.3 intercept possessions per game and 2.7 intercept marks, ranked No. 2 at the Dogs.

The No.1 intercept marker at Whitten Oval is 24-game defender Bailey Williams, with the baby backline rounded out by Zaine Cordy (36 games), Ed Richards (six) and Lewis Young (eight).

But why are the Dogs the league’s youngest less than 30 games after a flag?

“We didn’t plan it,” Beveridge said.

“What’s transpired over the last year and a half is that there has been a group of players who, for one reason or another, have had a lot of injury or they haven’t been able to find their previous best.

“So we haven’t been able to have any expediential growth from what we had established previously.

“Even though the younger guys are showing some good signs, they have still got to a hell of a lot to learn.

“We are really proud of the way they have stepped up in elite company and have been able to produce some really good performances.”

Beveridge has often spoken about how the Dogs are evolving and there is a hint of Alastair Clarkson’s 2017 message in his words.

“And if they can come on really, really quickly, who knows what can happen.”

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