Alex Pearce will play his 50th game this Sunday against Richmond at Optus Stadium.

Here are some numbers surrounding the key defender’s career to date. 

37
Pearce was drafted to Freo with pick no.37 in the 2013 National Draft.

9 of 10
Pearce made his debut in round six of the 2015 season against Essendon at Subiaco Oval. Of Pearce’s first 10 career games, Freo won nine on the way to securing the minor premiership. 

672 days
The key defender has taken the long road to 50 games, enduring a 672-day wait between games 21 and 22 due to multiple leg fractures.

21 of 22
Pearce returned to playing regular footy in 2018, playing 21 of a possible 22 games that season.

61 intercepts
Pearce ranks fourth in the AFL for intercepts this season with 61 from his seven appearances. His highest total came in round one where he had 12 intercepts playing on North Melbourne’s Ben Brown.

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27 spoils
Pearce has totalled 27 spoils this season, ranking him 40th in the AFL. His highest total came in round three where he had seven spoils playing on St Kilda’s Josh Bruce.

4.1 marks
Pearce has often taken the opposition’s best forwards in 2019 and he’s done an excellent job at limiting their impact. Playing on the likes of Josh Kennedy, Jeremy Cameron, Ben Brown and Tex Walker, Pearce has kept his opponents to an average of 4.1 marks per game. 

93.6 per cent
No Freo player has spent more time on the field in 2019 than Pearce, playing 93.6 per cent game time. In round four against West Coast, Pearce never went to the bench playing 100 per cent game time.

24 one-on-ones
Pearce has been involved in 24 one-on-one contests this season, of which he has only lost five.

7.3 contested possessions
Pearce is averaging 7.3 contested possessions and 4.9 ground ball gets this season, both of which rate as elite for key defenders according to AFL Stats Pro.

23
With many pundits calling Pearce the most impactful defender so far this season, it’s easy to forget that this Freo leader is just 23 years old.