Paul Hasleby has listed his candidates to succeed Nat Fyfe as Fremantle’s next captain.
Fyfe, 31, stepped down as Dockers skipper on Tuesday after six years in the role, paving the way for a younger replacement.
Former Freo midfielder Hasleby says it feels like the correct decision has been made by Fyfe and the club.
“Right call for me at the right time,” Hasleby said on SEN WA’s The Run Home.
“He’s done the team thing on this occasion. I was really strong on it towards the back-end of last year.
“Clearly there are younger candidates who can take the group forward, who can grow and who are going to be serious individual players themselves and take this team through, what hopefully for Fremantle fans, will be a successful period.”
The key candidates to become the next Dockers captain are defender Alex Pearce, who skippered the side on 16 occasions in Fyfe’s absence last year, reigning best and fairest Andrew Brayshaw and emerging midfielder Caleb Serong.
Hasleby went through the pros and cons of that trio before coming to a conclusion on who he feels should be crowned captain.
Alex Pearce
Pros:
- He’s done it before. He was in the position when Fyfe was out for most of last year, so he’s been there and done that.
- He’s strong, he’s disciplined, he’s got a big presence. There’s something about a big guy as captain.
- He’s reliable. He’s behind the ball and sometimes in footy that can be an advantage when the game is in front of you.
Cons:
- He’s not the long-term option.
- He’s injury prone. You don’t see him out there every single week.
Andrew Brayshaw
Pros:
- He’s consistent. Every single week he plays well.
- He’s a match-winner. He influences games off his own boot.
- He’s in the midfield which is a positive because you’re around everybody. There can be a negative association with that because you can’t see everything, you’re just involved in the play.
- He’s at the elite level of the competition. Voted the AFL MVP by the players last year.
- He’s always had very strong leadership traits - professional, speaks well, comes from a really well-rounded family.
Cons:
- Potentially might have to deal with defensive attention.
(Hasleby admitted: “I didn’t really have anything strong.”)
Caleb Serong
Pros:
- He’s really passionate, you can just sense it with him.
- He’s very direct, he’s a driven individual.
- He would be the hardest lined player in terms if direct communication and feedback to his teammates which is important in any elite sport.
- He too can influence games.
Cons:
- He’s probably a little too young.
- He’s been there only three seasons. Has he had enough time to go through the ups and downs?
- He’s yet to establish himself as a top tier midfielder.
Hase’s conclusion
“Andrew Brayshaw I expect to be named as the next captain of the Fremantle Football Club,” the 208-game Hasleby said.
“I can’t see any negatives around Brayshaw. He’s the great player you need to be. He’s got leadership skills behind him.
“He struggled early, he was pick 2 and for the first few years I, and many other people inside Fremantle, were actually starting to wonder - is he going to get there as a pick 2?
“Then two to three years ago it just clicked and he became that player.”
Fyfe stepped down as the second longest-serving captain of Fremantle behind Matthew Pavlich having surpassed Peter Bell’s five seasons in 2022.
The next skipper(s) will be the club’s 10th (and/or 11th), following Ben Allan, Peter Mann, Chris Bond, Shaun McManus & Adrian Fletcher, Bell, Pavlich, David Mundy and of course, Fyfe.