- 'It's a Fremantle medal'
- 'It's inspiring' - Fyfe's Brownlow medal tribute to Freo fans
- Fyfe joins the greats with second Brownlow Medal
Any Fremantle fan would agree that Matthew Pavlich and Nat Fyfe are the two clear standout players in the 25-year history of the Fremantle Dockers, but according to Pavlich at least, Fyfe is now the number one.
Pavlich holds a number of impressive club records, including 353 games played, 700 goals and six Doig Medals to name a few.
Fyfe, on the other hand, is the club’s only Brownlow Medallist, and he added a second on Monday night to become one of only 15 multiple winners of the award.
The current Fremantle captain now leads all V/AFL players with an average of 1.07 Brownlow votes per game. Only he and three-time Brownlow winner Haydn Bunton snr. have averaged more than a vote per game in their careers.
In what Pavlich called bad news for opposition players, he thinks the 28-year-old Fyfe can get better.
“He’s a better player (than me). In terms of his skill and I think there are elements that he will keep developing,” Pavlich told 6PR.
“The two Brownlow medals puts him up there with 14 other (multiple winners).
“I think people will judge his career once it ends but in terms of raw ability – and we don’t judge all of our players on that - but in raw ability, he has me covered.”
Pavlich, who played with Fyfe for seven seasons, said that the fellow Freo captain developed the ability to get the best out of his teammates.
“I think Nathan’s very driven and he’s always had a strong desire to be the best he can possibly be,” Pavlich said.
“I think at the age of 28 now, he’s learning that there are lots of other things that are great to do with being an AFL footballer and he’s learning great ways to empower others and create a legacy that’s beyond his natural skills.
“Footy comes pretty naturally to him, some of these other things that we’re talking about are continuing to develop and he’s shifted in that mindset.
“That’s why I think he’s got so much growth and development in both himself as a player, as a leader and the legacy he leaves at Fremantle.”
Pavlich said that Fyfe’s number one trait was his ability to compete in the air.
“He’s the most talented player I’ve seen. Physically, in terms of his ability to run and jump,” Pavlich said.
“I still think he’s got great capacity to improve his kicking, decision making and things, which is probably not great news for opposition players.
“With his leadership, the compliance and buy in that he’s really developed, I think he’s got more to go.”