9 minute read
From the CEO
frOm The AFL Coach
JUSTIN LONGMUIR
Since the final siren sounded on our round 23 game against St Kilda, the messaging to the players has been the same – we need to get better. That is pretty generic, but I feel that we have so much improvement left in us. From availability, to the behaviours we live each day, to the way we play – there is so much growth.
Our consistency week to week was of concern. Following the bye, we had four wins but none of them came consecutively, as we celebrated important victories against Collingwood, Hawthorn, Richmond and West Coast split by losses to Carlton, Geelong, Sydney, Brisbane and St Kilda. The off-season and pre-season are important times to harness the improvement we require, developing personal routines that allow the players to perform at a high-level day to day and week to week.
This is where our growth will come from, with more people willing to live higher standards more often and the connection within the group to push each other to be our best selves.
On the field, we want to get better at the basics under pressure, improve our pressure on the opposition and enhance how we operate offensively. We need to be able to compete against the best, who are comparatively older sides with more mature and stronger bodies. What that strength gives you is the resilience to be able to play every week, recover better and compete better on the field.
Our physical makeup is a big part of our development and the players will continue to push so they’re getting bigger and stronger, but it’s also finding that balance as we also need to be quicker and faster as well.
As an aside, we also want to get back to Fremantle a bit more with the aim of training on a regular basis at Fremantle Oval. It is important that we understand who we are as a Club and who we represent. Getting back to Freo will allow us to understand our heritage and give us better clarity about who we represent when we pull on the jumper.
There will also be some new faces we’re excited to unveil in 2022 following the trade and draft periods.
Jordan Clark fits our age profile of our younger players. He gives us an option, either on the wing or at half back, he’s fast, is a good kick and makes good decisions. His most important trait is he wants to improve and he’s willing to do the work to get better by enhancing all areas of his game.
Will Brodie has great work ethic and is aware of where he needs to improve and what he’s good at. His strengths should help him develop into a really good inside mid. He’s a good pressure player, a good clearance player and he embraces the physical part of the game.
Ultan Kelm was added as a Category B rookie from Northern Ireland, so he obviously arrives as a raw talent who will need more time to adapt to a new game, but he already adds to our group with his professionalism. What’s most important with Ultan is his attitude. He wants to be a professional athlete and will do everything it takes to get an opportunity. With his speed and agility, he has the potential to become a smaller defensive lockdown player, which excites me because that’s a need within our team.
At time of writing, we are yet to welcome our new draftees to the Club. While holding a strong draft hand is incredibly exciting to our recruiting team, where our players get drafted doesn’t mean much once they get to the football Club.
They will need to get to work straight away, and we will do everything we can to support them and teach them the behaviours that will help them be the best they can be. We’ll put no limits on what they can achieve next year but they will still have to earn a game.
We talk a lot about our younger players, but we’ve got a really strong core of senior players who will, hopefully, be fit and pushing for selection, which will make selection really difficult.
I’m really pleased to welcome Jaymie Graham to the Club as an assistant coach. First of all, he’s a great person, but he’s also a great coach who really adds to our group.
He’s a good relationship builder who isn’t scared to challenge the coaching staff or his players if he thinks it’s going to get the best out of them. He’ll be in charge of our forward line and ball movement, which are two areas we need to improve - so it’s a big job!
In Nat Fyfe’s report on page 20, he mentions how our younger leaders are already taking on more responsibility. I agree that leadership at our football Club is about empowering others and collaborating, and Nat’s no different.
He facilitates a lot of collaboration among the playing group and that provides a clear consensus of what the playing group wants and is thinking. It’s his job, along with the coaches, to bring the next group of leaders along. He’s been really open to that and is doing a great job.
Once again in 2021, we’ve continued to see everyone involved make sacrifices in the name of keeping the season alive while allowing the Club and football program to operate at the highest level possible.
Since arriving ahead of the 2020 season I’ve found that nothing is ever too much for anyone, and that extends to players, coaches, staff, families and our members and supporters.
Everyone has ridden the ups and downs and I thank you all for that.
Hopefully, next year we can have our full 11 home games in front of our full membership and supporter base, as there’s nothing better than having the Purple Army there in large numbers cheering us on.
We’ll be doing everything we can over the preseason to become a better team next year and make you proud.
frOm The AFL Captain
NATHAN FYFE
We went into the final round of the 2021 season with a chance to win our way into finals. It was unfortunate to fall short but I believe this is still a significant step forward, considering we fielded one of the youngest sides in the competition across the year.
But 10 wins and missing out on finals doesn’t win us anything and only leaves us all hungry to return our Club to September action.
There were some great moments and important wins along the way. Our wins against Sydney, Richmond and West Coast spring to mind, as well as our victories on the road against Collingwood, Adelaide and Hawthorn, where it’s notoriously hard to get the four points.
This needs to fuel our belief going into preseason, knowing that if we can tidy up a few areas of our game and naturally mature with our young list, a 14 to 15 win season awaits.
After I dislocated my shoulder in round 19 against Sydney, I spoke with David Mundy after the game about how we handle the leadership gap, knowing that my season was over and with fellow leaders Michael Walters and Reece Conca also out of the side.
It meant we only had three on-field leaders in the team each week in Dave, Alex Pearce and Andy Brayshaw. We made the decision that we needed to anoint the next leaders then and there and give greater responsibility to two players who had demanded the group’s respect with their actions throughout the season.
It should come as no surprise that the two players were Sean Darcy and Caleb Serong. They attended every leadership group meeting for the rest of the season and took up the slack that was left behind when ‘Sonny’ and I went out of the team. It was an important opportunity for us to fasttrack Caleb and Sean’s development and for the group to get behind them and Andy as the next generation of Freo Dockers’ leaders. They both handled themselves admirably with the greater responsibility thrown at them.
I thought our players fought hard through to the end of the year. Realistically, it is tough to compete against seasoned and older bodies across the course of a full 120-minute game. At times we were able to compete, and at others, our lack of depth showed.
Words are easy at this point of the year, but the framework of our list is there and as we mature under Justin’s game plan, we will deliver more consistently.
It can be a dangerous position to be in. It’s logical to expect improvement as we gain experience, but we can’t be complacent and expect the results to come.
The message to every player at the end of the year was to ensure they do absolutely everything they can in the off-season and pre-season in preparation for season 2022. We need to know our game plan inside out and continue to build a culture of hard work and ongoing improvement.
On a personal note, I’ve unfortunately had some complications with my shoulder surgery. It means it will have an impact on my preseason preparations, but I’m focused on doing everything I can to recover and regain full strength so I can get back out there with the boys as quickly as possible.
My number one aim is to always prepare myself physically and mentally to play a full season and finals at a really high level. From this platform I can teach and grow the next generation of Fremantle players as well as ensure our environment is a place where people strive to get the most out of themselves, players, coaches and staff.
Our round 22 clash against West Coast was important for a number of reasons. It was a chance for David Mundy to celebrate his 350th and record-tying 353rd game with family and friends. We also used the occasion to honour a legend of the Club in Stephen Hill.
With 51,000 fans in attendance, it was an opportunity for the players to step up on the big stage – and didn’t they just.
As important as it was to honour Dave and ‘Hilly’ in this way, it was also important for the group to give our members and supporters some sweet relief after 11 painful RAC Derby losses in a row.
The games we’ve played at Optus Stadium with the Purple Army in full force are routinely our most enjoyable each year. We absolutely love playing in front of our home crowd and always feel the support when we we’re playing on the road.
We know our members and supporters are on this journey as much as we are and we’re grateful for that. We look forward to playing exciting footy for you and building towards something significant in the years to come.
