Newly appointment Fremantle Dockers captain Nathan Fyfe is looking increasinglyย likely to remain at the club.
The 2015 Brownlow Medalist is out of contract at the end of the seasonย and speculation has been mounting that he could leave the dockers.
However, in an interview with SEN Breakfast this morning, Fyfe said he sees his future at Fremantle.
โSpeculation is only natural given that I havenโt signed a contract yet, but Iโve stated all along that I see my future being with Fremantle,โ he said.
โIโve always signed my contracts in the mid-to-late part of my last year of the contract and that was always going to be the case.
โThe captaincy doesnโt change anything in that regard. I look forward to captaining Freo this year and want to play my football with Freo.โ
Since the introduction of free agency in 2012, some of the AFL's biggest names haveย had to endure the constant speculation surroundingย their contract situation.
Given Fyfe's intention to wait until mid-to-late part of the year to sign a new deal he will have to tolerate intenseย media scrutiny. Fyfe saidย he is comfortable in doing so.
โIโll monitor it closely and if I feel at any point that its affecting me, or more importantly the team or the club, then Iโll look to do something pretty quickly,โ he said.
โI saw how Patrick has handled it โ and other players have handled it โ there is an element of motivation that you do draw out of the chaos that goes on with that speculation.
โIf you can turn it into some positive fuel to play better footy, then Iโm all for it.โ
Related: Pavlich says Nat Fyfe won't leave Freo.
Fyfe's appointment as Fremantle captain raised a few eyebrows in the football world, with fellow senior midfielder David Mundy only holding the title for one season.
It was a strange decision to change after just one year, but it made sense according to the Dockers' new leader.
โWhen we went into season 2016, we had six or seven slightly older players who were around the age demographic that David was and we were coming off a big season where weโd finished top of the ladder in 2015, and were looking at going deep into the finals,โ he explained.
โDavid was the best man for the job โ I believe that process got it right last year.
โThis year weโve had five or six guys go and weโve had some fresh faces come in โ the age has shifted slightly downward and the appointment of Michael Walters and Lachie Neale along with myself, sort of reflect the age of the group and the rejuvenated direction that we are going in.โ
