It’s often said that getting drafted is the easy part of forging a career in AFL football. Competition for spots in every position means many players depart the system without having played a game.

Charlie Lazzaro, the number 36 pick in the draft, has already made the inroads necessary to achieve a long and successful career at AFL level having played in 9 games so far in his debut season.

Having been moved around the ground, he’s had to adjust and adapt to playing new and unfamiliar positions, but midfield coach Jordan Russell says his approach to learning new roles reflects well on all of North’s young players.

“He’s played time on the wing, he’s spent time forward. I think if you asked him he’d probably say coming through junior footy he was a midfielder,” Russell said during the latest Member Q&A, presented by AIA.

“The amazing thing about this crop of young boys that we’ve got is their abilities, their ability to learn a different position really quickly.

“They’re learning new game plans and they’re trying to do it across a couple of different roles. I don’t think you can underestimate how difficult that is.”

More than his ability to become a good footballer, Lazzaro has remained grounded during his time in the AFL system.

For a young player with early games under their belt it can be easy to become overawed, arrogant, or anything in between.

Russell says Lazzaro’s growth on and off the field has been mirrored by the club’s other first-year players, and they’re all pushing forward together.

“He’s energetic and he’s bubbly … he’ll keep going until you tell him to stop,” Russell said.

“They want to improve and get better, they’re genuine people as well … we’ve got some very talented young boys at the club this year.

“They take feedback on board really well and they’re really coachable.

I think that’s the reason they’ve been able to play pretty good footy for parts of games consistently so far this year, and Charlie is exactly the same.”