Second-year defender Ethan Hughes was dealt a mixed hand in 2016.
Initially selected with pick 13 in the 2014 Rookie Draft, Hughes was promoted to Fremantle’s senior list ahead of the 2016 season having made an impressive debut in the final round of last year.
The 20-year-old showed some good form for Peel early in the season before suffering a minor hamstring injury against Swan Districts in round three.
Following two games on the sidelines, Hughes returned to the Thunder’s team and a fortnight later earned senior selection against GWS at Domain Stadium in round seven.
Fyfe's look at the future
He held his own in three matches for Fremantle before he was struck down with a serious calf injury in round nine against Richmond at Domain Stadium that kept him out for seven weeks.
And after a month in the WAFL and two games in the seniors against West Coast and Adelaide in rounds 20 and 21, both at Domain Stadium, Hughes was omitted from Fremantle’s team before suffering from illness on the eve of Peel’s finals campaign.
Speaking after the Thunder’s 23-point Grand Final victory on Sunday against Subiaco at Domain Stadium, Hughes noted the challenges he faced in rebuilding self-belief.
“I started out all right but through the middle of the year I had a couple of injuries which put a little bit of a dent in my confidence, so I spent time trying to build it back up again,” he said.
“At the start of the finals I was also sick but Prelim week I found a bit of form and tried to continue it today, which was alright.”
Peel Thunder win WAFL Premiership
Renowned for his fitness, composure and ability to read the play, Hughes performed consistently well in Peel’s finals campaign.
The defender averaged 17.25 possessions and six marks in the last month of the WAFL season and played a crucial role in repelling several of Subiaco’s attacking forays in the second half.
And despite encountering a number of challenges throughout the season, Hughes was happy with the way his season ended, noting Ed Langdon’s final quarter goal as a high point.
“It was a great feeling, knowing that we nearly had one hand on the cup,” he said.
“I would’ve loved to run over there (to congratulate Langdon) but my legs were pretty cooked.”
