Outgoing Fremantle captain Nat Fyfe may have stood aside from official leadership duties, but his desire to play a guiding role to his teammates has remained on show at training.

Following Tuesday’s main session, Fyfe took 19-year-old midfielder Neil Erasmus aside for what has been a regular check-in since the 2022 season ended.

Erasmus played five games in 2022 and has shown impressive development at Peel, including 32 disposals and a goal against Swan Districts in the final game of the regular season and two goals in the semi final against Claremont.

The no.10 pick is vying to play a mix of wing or forward for Fremantle in 2023, but he’s still working on his long-term goal of breaking into Freo’s talented midfield.

And he’s doing so with the help of the two-time Brownlow Medallist.

“Nat’s been in touch during the whole off-season and pre-season. He knows I’ve been working on a few things, like my work around stoppages, first gives and doing the basics really well,” Erasmus said.

“He’s interested in how I’m going and he keeps checking in on me, which has been really good.

“We also talk about the stuff that he’s working on around visualising and the mental side, such as staying calm when the game gets heated as your mind can be flying at a rate of knots.”

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Now a part of the forward group, the bulk of Fyfe’s pre-season work happens separately from the midfielders, and Erasmus is pleased to still have the opportunity to go to Fyfe for advice.

“He’s working really hard on his craft up forward and it’s something new for him, but he’s still finding the time which I really appreciate,” Erasmus said.

“The way he trains and the way he’s played over the years is as impressive as it gets.

“To learn from someone like him, you know you’re learning from the best and it’s really reassuring and well appreciated.”

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