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Fyfe for life! Fremantle skipper signs six-year big-money deal

Expert
17th July, 2017
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Dockers captain Nathan Fyfe applauds the crowd after their Round 5 AFL match between the Fremantle Dockers and the North Melbourne Kangaroos at Domain Stadium in Perth, Saturday, April 22, 2017. (AAP Image/Travis Anderson)
Expert
17th July, 2017
67
1537 Reads

Fremantle superstar Nat Fyfe has put an end to any chance of him changing clubs via free agency at the end of the year, signing a six-year deal with the Dockers until the end of 2023.

The deal is rumoured to be worth as much as $1.4 million per year for Dockers’ captain and 2015 Brownlow Medallist. If true, the total value of the contract would be in excess of $8 million.

Fyfe will by 31 when the deal finishes and so seems likely to finish his career as a one-club player.

“I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity. Freo has been my home since the start of my career and I’ve since grown into a leadership role,” Fyfe said.

“I really love playing for the club and I’m really grateful and humbled to have the opportunity to be here for the next six years.”

There was significant rumour in the early part of the season that Fyfe was being targetted by Victorian clubs, in particular St Kilda.

It was even said at one point that he had agreed to terms with the Saints on a deal worth more than $1.5 million a year, though this was immediately denied by his management.

St Kilda later publicly confirmed that they were not chasing Fyfe’s signature and instead pursuing other targets such as Josh Kelly and Dustin Martin.

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From that point onwards it has looked more likely than not that Fyfe would decide to stay with the Dockers, and perhaps it always was.

His signature is an enormous boon for a rebuilding Fremantle side, who can now plan for 2018 and beyond knowing they will have him to build around as both the club’s captain and its best player.

With Harley Bennell also looking likely to play his first game for Fremantle sooner rather than later and likely another top ten draft pick coming this year, things are looking up for the Dockers’ future.

“I think we’ve got a group who are really willing to learn and aren’t interested in waiting around for their careers to follow a natural trajectory,” Fyfe said.

“Clearly, we want to deliver Fremantle their first premiership. It’s a really lofty and ambitious goal. We’re all going to work as hard as we can towards that.”

After a season that has been quality football but below his prolific standards of the past, Fyfe has been in excellent form over the past fortnight, with back-to-back 30+ disposal games.

The 25-year-old was drafted to the Dockers in the 2009 AFL draft at pick No.20, and in addition to the 2015 Brownlow has been named All-Australian twice, won two Fremantle best-and-fairests, and two AFLPA MVP awards.

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