Sam Collins has welcomed Fremantle’s strategy of recruiting fellow defenders during the NAB AFL Trade and Draft periods.
As a first year defender, Collins played all but one game after making his debut against St Kilda in round ten.
Established in the side in 2016, Collins knows he will have to work even harder to keep his spot in 2017.
Freo bolstered their backline in the off-season, seeing Bulldogs premiership defender Joel Hamling join the club in the trade period, and adding backmen Griffin Logue, Brennan Cox, Luke Ryan and Taylin Duman in the National and Rookie drafts.
“It’s good to see the new faces come through,” Collins said.
“Competition is always healthy. It makes me sure I continue to hone my skills and work even harder, so I give myself every opportunity to get a spot.”
After playing his part in Peel’s Grand Final side, Collins’ return to the club was pushed back until the five-plus year players returned on Monday 21 November.
And the 22-year-old made the most of his break.
“It was good to get back to Melbourne and see family and friends,” Collins said.
“It’s important to get away from footy for a moment and rest and rejuvenate.
“I went camping back in Victoria. It was something different and something I really missed being able to do last season.”
On his return, Collins has found pre-season more demanding as he prepares for his second season.
“We were eased into it last year as first year players, but this year’s been a lot better. It’s been a solid start to the pre-season,” he said.
“We’ve been working hard and it’s good to get back and see all the guys and really knuckle down.”
To the Box Hill Hawks product, the big difference in life as a second-year player is knowing what to expect from another year in the AFL.
“I know I’m able to play my role and I’m a lot more comfortable around the club with the guys that I’m playing with,” he said.
“It’s also knowledge of the game plan. I think I’m a lot more around that after 12 months of experience.
“There’s always room for growth, and that’s something I’ll have to keep doing if I want to be an AFL player.
"But I’m more comfortable knowing that I’ve got the capability to play my role. That said I’ve got a lot more work over the next few months to get ready to go and make sure I’m a consistent player.”
