Tall Bendigo utility Zaydyn Lockwood finished the 2025 Coates League season in hot form.
The 198cm overaged prospect played the second half of Bendigo's Coates League season in the ruck, which unlocked his best footy.
After being moved into the ruck following a modest first five games of 2025, he averaged 19 hitouts, 19 disposals, seven tackles and five marks to announce himself as a player with genuine upside.
Lockwood's athleticism has been a key feature of his rise throughout 2025.
“I honestly think he's one of the biggest improvers in Talent League this year," Bendigo Pioneers coach Danny O'Bree said.
“We've simplified his role, added freedom and allowed him to show traits recruiters want to see in a freer role moving up the ground.
“He's still showing good defensive qualities and he's really enjoyed it.
“I think the major reason he's progressed so quickly this year is he's loving his footy.”
The breakout period follows a start to 2025 where Lockwood struggled to stamp his authority on games as a deep defender, after a frustrating 2024 season plagued by illnesses which robbed him of continuity.
Despite playing in the ruck, there is a view that his best footy at the next level would be in the backline given his size and he's shown many of those defensive traits throughout the season.
“What we have seen with his athleticism, how he gets around the ground and helps his team long down the line to provide a contest or getting back to help defence as a mobile ruckman has been amazing,” O'Bree said.
“As a second-string ruck and key defender, there's lots to like.
“He's so willing to defend.
“We've seen some amazing footage of him running three quarters of the length of the field to take a contested mark or thump it through for a point at a critical point which typifies who he is.”
