To the Purple Army,
As AFL players it’s often said we are nothing without our members and supporters.
At times it has seemed almost like a throwaway line.
But in round one playing at an empty Marvel Stadium, even as the away team, we gained an even greater appreciation and understanding of how integral members and supporters are to our great game.
I genuinely struggled in that game against Essendon without the fans barracking in the stands - for or against us!
The game really is made so special because of the passionate support we get.
Having not played a game now for more than a month, I think about the moment when we can run out in front of a packed Optus Stadium, put on a show and, most importantly, thank our members and supporters for making the game as great as it is.
In the here and now, the clubs and the AFL are doing everything possible to navigate a way through the hardship.
Since the season was suspended, I’ve spoken with a number of Fremantle people, members and fans, and their main concern is for the wellbeing and longevity of the club.
That is no surprise to me.
Our members and supporters are super passionate when things are going well, and even more so when the going gets tough.
We have been both humbled and inspired by the support we have received.
A lot of tough decisions have been made in the past five weeks at Fremantle and around the AFL.
In a way, these decisions have been made for us – they’re a result of the magnitude of the situation.
A lot of people from the club have been stood down, all the players have been sent home and are spending time with their families.
All around the AFL, fans, clubs, the league are all wrapping arms around each other and making sure we can get through this challenging time.
While we are all taking a forced break away from football, the game is still at the front of our minds.
The players have found their rhythm. They’ve got their programs for weights and training. They’ve figured out where they can train, what they can achieve at home.
A lot of the guys are using their brothers and sisters or partners to train with and doing what they can to stay fit.
I think everyone seems to be in reasonable spirits.
At my parents’ home in Lake Grace, where I’ve spent some time recently, there’s a home gym in the shed, which is pretty handy.
Keeping in shape isn’t the biggest challenge though. It’s more around that motivation and engagement level.
As we’re not exactly sure when we can return to play, it’s hard to mentally map out what the training is going to look like for the next period of time.
I’ll be closely monitoring my motivation and engagement levels and making sure that I’m not at any risk of burnout, but I’m still getting the work done.
We all miss football, but my message to the players was to not focus on what we are missing, but to look at the opportunity that this situation provides.
This can range from spending time with family, catching up with something we’ve been putting off, a re-evaluation of what is really important in life - so when things do return to normal, we can be appreciative and grateful for what we have in our lives.
I’ve been spending some time with my family and helping out with the family transport business, which is something I’ll look to be involved with in the future.
As I said before, it’s also gaining a new appreciation of what we do and the support we have from our fans.
The Fremantle family have always been there to support us, and we’re here to help each other in any way we can to get through this, whether that’s emotional support or any other avenues we can offer.
And speaking of the Freo family, we were all saddened by the recent passing of Quenton Leach.
It’s incredibly sad when we lose anyone, but especially someone as young as Quenton. His service to the club as an inaugural Fremantle player will never be forgotten.
I think it’s a reminder of how precious our existence is and how precious our football existence is. It’s something we should really treasure and value.
Once you’ve been a Fremantle person, you’ll always be a Fremantle person, so our thoughts and condolences go out to Quenton’s family and people closest to him.
Stay safe everyone and keep looking out for each other.
Nat Fyfe
