IN HIS first year at the Dees, Xavier Lindsay showed the Melbourne faithful that he is a composed footballer, calm under pressure and poised with ball-in-hand.

What many probably didn’t see was that Lindsay runs with this same demeanor off the field too.  

“Nah it wasn’t too stressful, it was just another game of footy,” Lindsay said when reflecting on his first game of AFL.  

Freshly 18 and drafted to the Dees last November, it didn’t take him long before he cemented himself in Melbourne’s final 23.

Despite a shortened pre-season due to a knee injury, Lindsay stepped up to the AFL plate with a self-assured attitude well beyond his years.

After making his debut in Round 1, he went on to finish the year with 18 senior games to his name.

“I think I’ve changed a bit since I was drafted,” Lindsay said.

I’ve put on eight kilos since and that’s definitely helped me, you don’t get pushed around as much.

“And I’ve had to grow up a fair bit, I moved out of home, I’ve had to learn professional habits.

“You find out what works, what doesn’t work for you and I’ve been able to pick up on things that the other boys do.”

While his exceptional skills made him a consistent contributor in Melbourne’s side, a locked position was not on the cards for him in 2025.

Lindsay started the year as a winger despite spending much of his junior football career across half-back and in the midfield.

His role in the red and blue then changed a number of times across the season, the word versatile taking on a whole new meaning for Lindsay.

“I started as a winger and I hope I played my role well there. Then through injury and team changes, I moved down back,” Lindsay said.

“It was nice to see the coaches have the faith in me to put me down back and to be given that opportunity to add versatility to my game.

“Then towards the backend of the season, I spent some time in the middle and a little bit up forward, so basically every position.

I think it’s been the best thing for me, being able to learn different positions makes the game easier to read, understand and play.

“I don’t mind where I play, I’m just happy to be wherever the team needs me."

Hailing from Inverloch, Lindsay briefly moved in with senior Demon Jake Lever following the draft, before making his permanent move to Melbourne, shacking up with teammates Caleb Windsor, Koltyn Tholstrup and Blake Howes.

Lindsay attributes a lot of his changes in professionalism to his teammates.

“Blake, he’s definitely one I’ve been able to learn heaps off,” Lindsay said.

“At home, Howesy is good at stopping the football chat, we need that balance.

“Your life can’t be about footy all the time, or it drains you.

“And I obviously moved in with Jake Lever when I first got draft, he was awesome. [Christian] Salem has also been huge for me in defence.”

For a first year, helpful tips from teammates go a long way to fit into life as an athlete, but the biggest piece of advice that Lindsay has held on to is the idea of embracing every chance you get.

“Don’t waste any opportunities,” Lindsay said.

“You grow up dreaming of playing on the MCG in front of thousands, so to be able to do that most weeks, especially in my first year, I didn’t want to waste it.

“I walked out on to the ground and every time it was an unreal feeling.

To be able to play as many games as I did, I was pretty proud of that, particularly after a shortened pre-season.

“As a first-year player, you don’t really expect much, you just want to play a game.”

Lindsay, like much of the AFL playing list, has already turned his focus to 2026, joining teammates in pre-pre-season running and skills sessions in the lead up to the start of the official pre-season in mid-November.

“I really want to work on my running ability, and hopefully with a full pre-season under my belt, my running can become a weapon of my game,” Lindsay said.

“I’m going to work really hard on that.”