Sitting together at the MCG watching their teammates play in Fremantle’s first Grand Final was a tough reality for Clancee Pearce and Garrick Ibbotson.
The pair had surgery shortly before the 2013 Grand Final and missed out on playing on the last day in September.
They were dealt further blows in 2014, both had ongoing injuries and managed to playing a combined 20 games.
However, this season the duo has been among Fremantle’s best performing players and played all 11 games.
“We sat next to each other during the Grand Final and watched on because we both had surgery about the same time,” Ibbotson said.
“We have spoken before about having to watch the Grand Final and what it was like and how much we’d like to be out there.
“Every player wants to play in a Grand Final.”
Not looking too far forward: Ibbo
Ibbotson praised Pearce for getting his body primed for 2015 during a tough personal pre-season.
“Clancee came back in the pre-season super fit,” he said.
“He was saying at the end of last year he needed to put a lot of work in over the off-season.
“He is seeing some good reward for effort that no one really knew he was giving.”
