Nat Fyfe has stood down from his role as Fremantle captain after a six-year tenure in what he described as a “tough” decision.
The 31-year-old informed his teammates of the decision on Tuesday, admitting that it had been coming for the best part of a month.
”The decision was tough. It has been something I’ve known for the last three or four weeks,” he said.
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“Last year was a challenging year for me individually, but a great year for the club and it started to pave the way for a transition.
“Intuitively, I knew that it was an exciting opportunity for the club for me to step aside and let someone else come through.
“It took a while for the emotions and my mind to line up with my intuition, it feels like I was letting go of a dream in some ways, but once I connected with that feeling, it opens up the possibility for so much more.
“I’m optimistic about what this transition can do for the club.”
After being Fremantle’s talisman for the majority of his 209-game career, Fyfe endured a tough 2022 season, managing just seven appearances and averaging a career-low 15.1 disposals per contest.
Fyfe has also stepped aside from Fremantle’s leadership group entirely, as the club’s next generation gets set to take over.
Andrew Brayshaw has overtaken Fyfe as Fremantle’s No.1 midfield man, and after a career year which saw him named the AFLPA’s MVP, the 23-year-old is one of the hot favourites to be Fyfe’s successor.
While Fyfe enjoyed a successful personal tenure as captain, winning his second Brownlow Medal in 2019, the team did not enjoy as much success under his leadership.
Fremantle missed the finals in each of Fyfe’s first five seasons as skipper before a drought-breaking appearance last season where they were eventually beaten in a semi final by Collingwood.
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