Fremantle star Nat Fyfe has revealed the depths of depression he encountered during his recent injury battles, stating that he found "rock bottom" during his prolonged stint on the sidelines.
Fyfe, 31, relinquished the captaincy reins at Cockburn this week, ending a six-season stint at the helm.
The dual Brownlow medallist's choice to stand down from the role comes after he featured on just seven occasions last season, bringing his tally of senior appearances to just 26 since he last took home 'Charlie' in 2019.
Speaking to ABC Sport's Ben Cameron on Saturday, Fyfe detailed just how low he had fallen away from the league's bright lights, explaining that the pain felt from his recurring shoulder injury had hampered him both physically and mentally.
"It was probably the most profound experience of my adult life, to be honest Ben," Fyfe told Cameron and ABC listeners.
"What was happening on the outside which was injuries, was just a small reflection of what was going on inside.
"I had a fair bit to deal with, I had a good hard look at some of the ailments that we all face as humans in life, in terms of anxiety, depression, and a bunch of those internal emotional things, which then came out as injuries."
Though initially sidelined with a right shoulder injury - a joint he dislocated twice in 2021 - Fyfe was also struck down by several other ailments, including back and tendon complaints.
"I had the shoulder that failed, then I got an infection, then I did my back, then I did multiple hamstrings,"ย he added.
"Internally I was cooked, and I was just fighting my way through it and I just kept breaking down.
"So it was pretty grim, and I still would look in the mirror and sort of see the old me.
"I couldn't quite relate with this new person yet, and when I was in that position and I still had a fair way to go as far as trying to figure things back out and getting that kind of internal energy system going again, so it was tough."
Fyfe also expressed how his stacked mantel of awards did little to ward off ill-feeling or kickstart the drive that saw them won in the first place.
"The past accolades were getting stale, there's only so long that you can parrot that you're a two-time Brownlow Medallist from years ago, they were starting to get stale and I had no juice and motivation out of them," he added.
"So a good hard look at rock bottom has fired me back up again."
Back fit and firing ahead of his 14th season in purple, the three-time Doig Medal winner is tipped to spend more time ahead of the ball in 2023, allowing blossoming midfielders Andrew Brayshaw, Will Brodie and Caleb Serong first crack at stoppage time.
Fremantle will face off against Port Adelaide (Victor George Kailis Oval) and Adelaide (Fremantle Oval) in pre-season clashes between February 24 and March 2.
Fyfe and the Dockers will then travel to Marvel Stadium for their Round 1 clash against St Kilda and former head coach, Ross Lyon, on Sunday, March 19.
