Fremantle star Nat Fyfe says the club is keeping a lid on prime minister talks after victories over Melbourne and Brisbane, but admits it’s “good” to be back at the top of the ladder. .
Fyfe has yet to play a game in 2022 after multiple shoulder surgeries, then a knee injury and a back operation kept him out of Fremantle’s side sitting 9-3 after 12 rounds.
After a successful return to the WAFL last weekend, Fyfe said he is ready to go straight into the Dockers team, which has brought the competition to the fore with big wins over Premier League fantasies.
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But he is manipulating the prime minister’s hype.
“The external hype that was beginning to be generated; you may have heard some of the hashtags (like #flagmantle) being run over here in the west, “On the Couch said.
“We are all very excited about a team that has not won a first.
“Internally, what I have seen is a committed and motivated group that knows that we are only at the beginning of June.
“We have a lot of work to do … we look forward to continuing to do this work.”
After Nick Riewoldt tried to clarify which hashtags he was referring to, Fyfe said, “Come on, mate, don’t do this to me!”
“I think there was a #flagmantle at some point,” added On the Couch host Garry Lyon.
The 30-year-old said playing forward “seems like a pretty reasonable option at the moment” for his return after 11 “humiliating” months on the sidelines.
Nat Fyfe was the star attraction of the WAFL. Image: Paul KaneFont: Getty Images
And he has warned fans not to expect an outstanding performance from the first game.
“I can only watch one week at a time; I hope that in six or eight weeks on the track I’ve developed a little bit of fitness and a little bit of toughness … and I can really add a little bit of value to the team, ”he said.
“I couldn’t do anything for six weeks … a shoulder operation failed; I couldn’t physically go anywhere or do anything.
“I had to raise my hand and physically say I found the bottom and I won’t be able to fight for it and put my ego aside.
“I hope it can impact the AFL level, but it won’t be at the same level I left it last year (immediately on the return).”
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The two-time medalist Brownlow is excited about what the future holds for the club, as he and his fellow Fremantle leaders set to work on “basically weapon development”.
“We have so many good young players and our job is to provide that leadership that will take our club to a position we haven’t been in,” he said.
“We’ve been very methodical with our list management strategy for a while … Gathering a crew is what you need to be a good competitive team for a few years.
“The enthusiasm has been growing internally for a long time.
“You just have to be more discriminating with the help you render toward other people.
“Finally, it seems that we are in a good position to attack the next half of the year.
“The real season starts after that.”
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Sofa host Garry Lyon said he was confident Fyfe would have some “doubts” about his return after such a long injury.
But he was confident that the star Freo could rise again.
“He’s ready,” added panelist Nick Riewoldt.
“It could break the competition.
“When you get used to this role, you have all the tools to be a great midfield forward.”