Fremantle captain Alex Pearce believes the Club's growth next season will not primarily come from the re-elected leadership group, announced on Friday, but from a shift in mindset among the emerging talent on the list.

Pearce will enter his 11th season as a player and his second year as AFL captain in 2024, and he has been impressed by the drive and hunger of the younger players, who have been setting high standards since they returned to pre-season in November.

The 28-year-old identified that in an inconsistent 2023, many of the younger players, still finding their feet at the AFL level, relied too heavily on their leaders to drive action.

“The role of the leadership group is obviously to help lead and influence, but it's also to play well and perform,” Pearce said.

“Our improvement this year is going to come from a lot of our younger players who have had 10 to 50 games under their belt, who got to the end of the season and thought, ‘I don't like how this season has gone, and we want to be successful right now.’”

Fremantle forward Josh Treacy and defender Jordan Clark have stood out for the captain this pre-season. Treacy announced to 500 members at the Annual Members’ Meeting recently that he has worked on becoming much more vocal and demanding of his teammates this pre-season.

“It’s good to be able to see some of the younger guys, in particular, Jordan Clark and Josh Treacy, who have had a bit of experience and they've come back fit, hungry, and a lot more vocal around the Club,” Pearce said.

“That's been a bit of a shift for the group. There are a lot more guys taking responsibility and saying, ‘We're not going to leave it to Alex or our leaders; we all want to lead, and we're all going to take this group forward’ – and that's a really good spot to be in.”

Treacy had a breakout year playing up front alongside a formidable forward line in Luke Jackson and Jye Amiss, with a career-high three goals in round 18 against the premiers in Collingwood.

Fremantle’s young list has been identified as one of the reasons for its inconsistent form in 2023, but the skipper, while acknowledging it was used as an excuse, wants to use the team’s youth as its advantage next season.

“I don't mind the young tag, but that young tag is why we're going to be successful (next season),” Pearce said.

“We're going to use our youth, our speed, and the fitness we've showcased this pre-season to play with passion and unburdened by the expectations of last year.

“When we struggled in 2023, we looked a bit tense and unsure; we want to play with enthusiasm and utilise our pace.”

Fremantle have one more week of pre-season before the Christmas break and are expected to return in mid-January next year, with their first official pre-season match to be held on Saturday 24 February at Mineral Resources Park against West Coast. 

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