After nine season as the captain of the Fremantle Dockers, Matthew Pavlich has stepped aside from the role heading into 2016.
The 34-year-old, who has played a record 335 games for the club, said it was the right time for a new leader to take on the role.
“First and foremost, it’s the right time for the football club – the right time for me to step aside and allow a new player or players the opportunity to lead,” said Pavlich.
“I have absolutely loved the honour and privilege of captaining Fremantle for the past nine years. Leading the boys out onto the field was always a highlight of my week.
“After considering my playing future last year and the ever increasing responsibilities I have as a father, finalising my university studies and my role as president of the AFL Players’ Association, it is just the right time for both the club and myself.
“As an AFL player you must commit entirely to the cause and that’s magnified even further as a captain. Both mentally and physically it takes its toll and, given where my body is at, I also need to be focused on getting the best out of myself to ensure that my on field play continues to benefit the team.”
Pavlich will finish his time as Fremantle captain having led the team into 189 matches – the most of any Fremantle captain in history, and the sixth most of any VFL/AFL captain in history.
Pavlich said he would still be willing to be a part of Fremantle’s leadership group in 2016 to help ease the transition to a new captain, if it was asked of him. But who might that new captain be?
Nat Fyfe
Fyfe has widely been regarded as the next big thing at Fremantle for much of his career and now that he is the reigning Brownlow Medallist it could fairly be said that he is the current big thing.
But does that equate to being the Dockers’ next captain? Fyfe was in Fremantle’s 2015 leadership group, but it was also just his first season in that role.
Fyfe certainly feels like someone who could be a captain of Fremantle one day, but whether or not that day is in 2016 remains to be seen.
David Mundy
Mundy has been part of Fremantle’s leadership group for a number of years now and if the Dockers want to go with a safe, experienced leader then he is the obvious choice.
In 2015 Mundy elevated himself to the level of consistent elite performance that should be required of a club captain. He had the best year of his career by far and was named All-Australian.
Mundy himself is already 30, but could be a great option to hold the captaincy for a couple of years while Fyfe gains more leadership experience.
Michael Walters
Walters might seem like a bit of a left-field possibility but Ross Lyon has indicated his belief in the small forward’s leadership potential on a number of occasions.
Walters’ transformation over the past few seasons – from being demoted to training in the WAFL because of lack of fitness, to becoming one of the AFL’s premier small forwards – has won him a lot of respect from coach Ross Lyon.
In September this year, Lyon said “It’s just so gratifying to see someone who has worked incredibly hard to have grown so much to the point where he could captain our football club.”
Who do you should be the next captain of the Fremantle Dockers? Let us know in the comments.
mattyb
Guest
To true Ben.I think Pavs legacy will be the amount and quality of leaders he has brought along with him.Exciting times for a very exciting club.
Kaks
Roar Guru
I still feel that the biggest sporting travesties are when players - in any sport - of Pavlich's ilk do not win championships, not because they arent great players, but because they came to a team at the wrong time. Imagine if he was a few years younger with the current dockers team.
Dean
Guest
You just owned yourself admitting that the Hawks have so many great choices of future captains. We all know that already. Try to keep your Hawk envy in check.
Don Freo
Guest
I don't.
Dean
Guest
Homicidal? Are you referring to the Hawks murdering Fremantle in last years Prelim and every other time they play? Hodge is a good bloke, that's why everyone calls him good bloke Hodge.
Ben of Phnom Penh
Roar Guru
Pav was a great player and leader. He will leave big shoes indeed.
mattyb
Guest
Gold,Dean tries to be funny,Balt owns Dean.Muddy is a great choice,but not surprising when you have so many great choices available.
Balthazar
Guest
Why should you care? I suggest you stick to worrying about the drink-driving homicidal maniac that is your team captain As a Freo fan I am really happy with this. David Mundy is the steel fist in a velvet glove type
Dean
Guest
Boring coach Boring game plan Boring captain Fremantles 2016 marketing slogan: Get on bored.
Don Freo
Guest
The reason would not be for Nat to "develop his keadership skills". He has them already. The reason is to reward a natural leader in Mundy and to free Nat to just play.
13th Man
Guest
Mundy a great choice. Nat will get his chance in a couple of years time, for now just let him play. Great reward for a loyal servant to Freo who is highly underrated over east. Mundy and then Fyfe will both be brilliant Skippers but I will miss Pav, a true champion on and off the field. I hope we can deliver him glory in his final year.
Don Freo
Guest
You seem to be having a bad day Jax. Don't worry...have a good sleep. The sun will shine again.
Josh
Expert
David Mundy as it turns out, and not a surprise. As I suggested in the article, using Mundy for a few years while Fyfe develops his leadership skills looks like a logical course of action.
jax
Guest
"You seem far too interested in arguing from an empty bank of knowledge rather than considering the thoughts of those who actually know stuff." The pot is calling the kettle black. Granted, you do know a lot about Freo Don but you act like an expert on other matters and threads that you know very little about. It's very ignorant and incredibly hypocritical of you to say what you did to Rick as I've seen you do the same thing on a number of occasions.
Don Freo
Guest
You could learn something about Freo, Rick, if you took on board what we say. You seem far too interested in arguing from an empty bank of knowledge rather than considering the thoughts of those who actually know stuff.
Axle an the Guru
Guest
Maybe that 14 yo will be there first premiership captain?
Balthazar
Guest
we have but yeah, nah. It's pretty common really.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
"Positive discrimination – or what is sometimes known as special measures – is permitted by all of the main federal rights laws dealing with discrimination (sex, age, disability and racial discrimination) where the intent of the requirement is to improve equality of opportunity." "Intent" is the key word in that statement, which narrows its application down considerably. I think we have gone slightly off topic though. :)
Balthazar
Guest
Positive discrimination - or what is sometimes known as special measures - is permitted by all of the main federal rights laws dealing with discrimination (sex, age, disability and racial discrimination) where the intent of the requirement is to improve equality of opportunity. The federal and State governments apply the concept with their procurement rules on contracting with SMEs, engagement of women barristers, requirements for indigenous and local participation etc. Next cab off the rank will be quotas for female Board members in ASX 100 companies As I said, he ticks all the other boxes already.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
"Hang, on I’m not suggesting he’d get chosen because of race." My apologies if my comments came across as that, but I felt the need to clarify this point nonetheless. "I don’t have an issue with positive discrimination either" Positive discrimination is legal in very few circumstances, so I agree to a very small extent here. AFL football clubs sole objective is to win the premiership, so the best person for the job should always be taken into account, irrespective of race.