Fremantle will continue to see the pre-season competition as a significant phase to prepare for round one, according to general manager of football operations Chris Bond.

Freo will play three JLT Community Series games in 2017, starting with a clash against the West Coast Eagles in Geraldton on Saturday 25 February.

“At this stage of the year, we take our pre-season competition really seriously,” said Bond on 6PR's Sportsday program.

“We want to get as much into the players as they can sustain, and then it’s on to the pre-season comp to get ready to round one.”

Fremantle will also face Collingwood at Rushton Park in Mandurah on Saturday March 4, and wrap up their pre-season on Friday March 10 at Domain against Carlton, and Bond said he expects to see even more happening behind the scenes.

“We want to make sure we really plan our pre-season which would mean there’s going to be some match simulation training and intra-club training,” Bond said.

“A few years ago, we even organised another pre-season match against Adelaide, and we flew there as well.

"So that’s how important we see it. I think closer to our first pre-season game on 25 February, we’ll sit down and see where our players are at.”

Boasting 163 games of AFL experience, including a season as Fremantle’s captain in 1999, Bond said he was pleasantly surprised to see Freo’s off-season recruits transition well into life at their new club.

“I think the real benefit that I’ve noticed, and I’ve been here quite a while now, is that the new players have just knuckled down,” Bond said.

“They’re training well and putting some strong performances on the track.

“Bradley Hill being one of them and Cam McCarthy’s training really well, as well as Joel Hamling and Shane Kersten. These players that have been in the system before, have really come in and worked really hard.”

Bradley Hill has impressed on the track during pre-season

After the departure of some long term contributors, McCarthy and Kersten will play a part of Fremantle’s new look forward-line in 2017 - which Bond expects to bring in an exciting new phase for the club.

“Chris Mayne was here for a number of years and Matthew Pavlich has been there for an incredible number of years,” Bond said.

“But it gives other players an opportunity and there’s also a couple of players we’ve recruited into that area.

“There’s some current players like Michael Apeness that we’ll continue to develop. With regards to our smalls, we’ll get some training in so we can get some fitness and versatility into that line as well.

“We are going to see different names and a younger forward line, but I think that’s exciting for the people who are going to come and watch us as well.”

Tickets for the JLT Community Series will go on sale from Tuesday 31 January. Click here for more information on how to secure your tickets.