Fremantle debutant Hugh Davies believes his time spent developing at Peel Thunder in the WAFL has prepared him for his AFL debut on Sunday against Gold Coast.

“It does feel good, I feel like I’ve been at Peel for quite a while which has definitely helped my development and helped my game a lot so it’s good to finally get some reward,” Davies said.

“I’m just looking to come in and play my role, nothing will change I guess from playing with Peel.

“I just want to come in and do my part to try and get a win.”

Taken by Fremantle with pick 33 in the 2022 National Draft, Davies was a key defensive element in Peel’s 2023 finals campaign and has been a consistent pillar in defence for the Thunder as they sit atop the 2024 WAFL ladder, boasting the best defensive record in the league.

“To be honest I just want to focus on the contest. I feel like when I get my contest right and I’m able to kill the ball, everything else from my game kind of flows,” Davies said.

The 196cm key defender praised senior players of Fremantle's list for filling him with the confidence to play his game.

“It definitely helps, obviously they (Caleb Serong and Andrew Brayshaw) are great players and I look up to them a lot, I’ve also got good relationships with them so it’s good for them to communicate that stuff (development) to me.

“All the people above me right now, like Alex Pearce, Luke Ryan, Brennan Cox, Josh Draper, I’ve learned as much as I can off them, just to try and soak it all in and get better."

Davies will make his debut in front of the Purple Army on Sunday at Optus Stadium as the team aims to get back on the winners list.