Few AFL Draft prospects have as clear a moment that sums up their game and personality as Lachy Dovaston's game-winning goal from 50 metres out in a Vic Metro trial game against the Young Guns.
A small forward with a deep bag of tricks, Dovaston has impacted at every level he's played throughout his time in Victoria's talent pathway - including that trial game.
The result of such showcase games are frivolous, but the moment laid the platform for an U18s carnival, which earned him All-Australian honours and showed off his class and polish around goals and love of the big moments.
“I looked at the clock and saw there were 20 seconds left and we were down by four points," Dovaston told Zero Hanger's Craft of the Draft.
“In my head I thought I would get up to the stoppage and just try and get involved quickly so I sprinted up, got to the front of the stoppage and then the ball came off the ruck's hands to (teammate Hussien El Achkar) whose kick came off the outside of the boot to me and I marked it.
“I saw no-one on the mark so ran in and kicked for goal and it drifted through, just.
“I thrive on those moments.
“Whenever the game's close, I just want the ball in my hands and I know I'm ready to make a good play or kick a goal.
“I want to try to be clutch.”
Dovaston, whose Eastern Ranges are through to the Coates League Preliminary Final, has 34 goals at Coates League level in 2025 to go with his nine goals at the U18s National Championships, playing a mix of high forward and deep forward.
Every Thursday at training, with best mate and Eastern Ranges counterpart Xavier Taylor, he lists out what he wants to get out of Saturday's match, and one consistent theme has been pressure.
That lift in intensity is reflected not only in numbers – he averages more than five tackles per game after going at three per game last year – but also intensity, with his busyness off the ball highlighting a more mature approach.
It's off the back of an enormous pre-season.
Fuelled by missing last year's U17s Futures game and the AFL Academy, Dovaston did extra sessions at Pulse8 Centre with personal trainer Cory Hargrave, who trains a host of AFL footballers, Eastern Ranges partner Project Gap and extra touch sessions with Dad at a non-descript Bayswater cricket oval.
| 14 RANK |  | Lachy Dovaston Eastern Ranges Forward HEIGHT: 177cm | â–¶+ |
“Not being able to make the two goals you set out the whole year for is a bit of a challenge but it's about the way you bounce back and I think that's something about me that I love,” Dovaston said.
“When you fail, it's better than when you succeed really.
“I was really keen to push through and show everyone the next step and next phase.
“I was a bit disappointed and sh*tty initially and thinking ‘why not me' but I got over it pretty quickly.
“You need to show what you can do and respond the right way.”
At 177cm and with different ways of kicking goals, Dovaston appears a natural small forward.
As well as impacting at Coates League and U18s National Championships level, he had four scoring shots in the more structured system of a VFL game, playing in a top-of-the-table VFL clash for Box Hill.
One player that's helped him improve is Taylor, whose rise from an anonymous prospect to top-10 contender has been quick, with Dovaston spending plenty of time on him at Eastern Ranges training.
“We hated each other in under-15s because he'd always tag me and then we went to 16s Eastern and Vic Metro and bonded and have been best mates since,” Dovaston said.
“It's pretty fiery at training: our friendship drops pretty quick and we get pretty angry at each other but most of the time it ends with me kicking a goal and him walking around head down, pretty sh*tty.”
For all of the wizardry, though, Dovaston didn't consistently play as a crumbing, front-and-centre forward until this year.
A midfielder in juniors, he played on the wing at the U16s Development Championships in 2023 and across the ground in 2024, with the Ranges using the season as an opportunity to educate Dovaston and position him to play a balanced brand in 2025.
“It was all about learning and adding a defensive aspect to my game," the teenager recalled.
“I'd get frustrated sometimes last year but it's been huge this year because playing small forward, the big thing is defence and that's become a strength of mine.
“All pre-season that was what I wanted to work on: tackling and pressure.”
Alongside pressure and goalkicking, the top 20 prospect also measures himself on his energy.
Dovaston's been a regular spark plug for the teams he plays in, has an infectious personality and gets everyone up with his goal celebrations.
“I'm always on TikTok chilling on my phone and you see them pop up and see soccer or basketball players do something and think ‘I want to do that' so I screenshot them and come back to them the day before the game and try to pull them off,” Dovaston exclaimed.
"I want to do the Errol Gulden one and Spiderman one at some stage so hopefully I kick some goals this weekend."
The long flowing mullet – all self-designed – also attracts plenty of hype, which he's embraced this season.
The celes, hairstyle and relishing the big stage is part of a confident brashness which gets under opposition's skin and is sure to continue garnering attention if – once – he finds his way onto an AFL list – and don't expect it to change anytime soon.
“I might change it up just before or after the draft, but I like it a bit longer," Dovaston said.
“It might be one I look back on and think 'what was that'.
“I don't chop it often, I do it all myself, cut the sides and fade myself. I do it one day before the game each week, and then wash it, add some curl cream and that's about it.”
A Rowville Sports Academy student, Dovaston went to school last year with Cooper Hynes, whom he's spoken to throughout the year to get an insight into life on an AFL list, as well as former Eastern Ranges teammate Cody Anderson – now at Hawthorn.
But he also has another powerful ally who has helped prepare him to take the next step: cousin and 2023 Collingwood premiership defender Nathan Murphy.
Eight years Dovaston's senior, the Pies supporter recalls Murphy getting him merchandise as a youngster and kicking the footy with his older cousin, who still works part-time at Collingwood.
More recently, the medically retired Pie has helped Dovaston prepare for what to expect in his top-aged season and beyond.
“Whenever I need him, I'll message him,” Dovaston said.
“He's helped me a lot, we've had some kicks and gone to the gym together.
“He's given a lot of advice on what to expect and he's given me some feedback for club interviews like what some questions to ask might be and what some things clubs are looking for are and that's made interviews a lot easier.”
The Blackburn junior who models his game on Collingwood's small forward quartet – Bobby Hill's electricity, Beau McCreery's pressure, Jamie Elliott's marking and Lachie Schultz's repeat efforts – witnessed the 2018 heartbreak and 2023 victory and might have one more to watch as a fan later this month before making the big stage his own.
“That's pretty exciting,” he said of the prospect of playing in front of a packed MCG.
“I'd have a few ‘celes' planned for sure and will make everyone energised.
“I'm pretty keen for that.
“I feel pretty prepared.
“I always thrive when I go to the next level up: I'm really excited to hopefully get on a list and put my best foot forward for it.”
Lachy Dovaston on playing as a high forward:
"I probably prefer the higher forward, I think my skillset lends itself to that role well. I can hit the scoreboard but getting up higher, getting involved in scoring chains and showing my run and carry is another huge thing I want to be able to do which has been good this year."
Eastern Ranges and Vic Metro coach Lauren Morecroft on Dovaston:
"He locked in as a small forward all year for us and he's played it perfectly, as the sixth role and deep when he needs to be. We wanted to emulate that at national level where he got better opponents on a faster speed game. He played the sixth goal and ripped back to goal really well, his pressure's gone to another level, he sets guys up, he hits the scoreboard, he did all the things I ask him to do at Eastern at Vic Metro as well. How he is as a teammate - he gets rewarded for that and he lifts others with his energy."
Best mate and fellow first-round prospect Xavier Taylor on Dovaston:
"He's always had flair and him bringing that work rate especially on the defensive side has been a big lift this year so it's good to see him get a lot of credit for that."
