Fremantle have welcomed two new faces to their leadership group in 2019, which has Nat Fyfe at the helm as captain for the third consecutive season.
Joel Hamling and Reece Conca have been added to the group, joining Fyfe, David Mundy, Michael Walters and Alex Pearce.
Hamling has played 40 games over two seasons since joining Fremantle from the Western Bulldogs, where he made 23 appearances and played a role in their 2016 premiership side.
After requesting a move to Fremantle, Conca arrived during the 2018 off-season as a free agent from Richmond, playing 104 games between 2011 and 2018.
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General manager of football Peter Bell said he felt the leadership group represented the playing list well.
“The Fremantle leadership group is voted on by the players themselves and this year’s group of leaders is an accurate and positive reflection of the group as a whole,” Bell said.
“The vote is strongly linked to the player trademark, where players vote for leaders that best portray those behaviours.
“The results show that we have a playing group that values and looks up to those who give their all on and off the field.
“With Alex Pearce, who is just 23, it also illustrates that we are a club that is continuing to look to our younger players to make a significant contribution to the club’s success.
“It’s also pleasing to note that three of our six leaders are Indigenous, which is also reflective of the proud Indigenous culture at our club.”
Fremantle have placed significant importance on team bonding this pre-season, holding a week-long training camp in the Gold Coast and introducing a game plan that can be adopted quickly by those new to the club.
Both Hamling and Conca are part of a group of 31 players who have arrived at the club in the past three seasons.
Bell said the appointment of Hamling as well as Conca, who is yet to play a game for Fremantle, shows that the playing group is coming together.
“Through Joel and Reece, we have two great characters who have come back to WA to find success at Fremantle, as many others have in the past three seasons,” Bell said.
“Joel’s leadership as a part of our backline has been crucial for the past two years and we look forward to this continuing with a club-wide focus.
“Reece was a greatly respected player at Richmond and it comes as no surprise that, as one of the more experienced players on our list, he has transitioned into a leadership role.”
Bell added that he expects to see Aaron Sandilands continue to lead at the club after the star ruckman was not voted in after 10 years in the leadership group.
“Aaron’s is among the club’s greatest contributors as a player and a leader and we expect this to continue in 2019,” Bell said.
“He was a member of our leadership group between 2009 and 2018, and this season, we will continue to lean on his experience as he helps guide and develop our young rucks and midfielders.”
