Captain Nat Fyfe has reaffirmed his intention to commit to Fremantle, saying he expects a new contract to be signed in the coming weeks.
The 2015 Brownlow Medallist said on Channel 7 News on Wednesday night that the finalisation of the AFL players' collective bargaining agreement for seasons 2017-2022 meant contract talks could progress.
“What I can say is my management and the club are in discussions,” Fyfe told Basil Zempalis on Channel 7.
“Now that the CBA’s been finalised, all parties are in a better position to be able to sit down and work it out.
“I’m quite hopeful that something can be done in the coming weeks.
"I think it's pretty close."
The 25-year-old would be a vital part of Fremantle’s squad in the coming seasons, as Freo looks to develop their next generation of players.
Fremantle have debuted six players in 2017, including all four players taken in the 2016 National Draft in Griffin Logue, Sean Darcy, Brennan Cox and Luke Ryan.
“We’re still a really ambitious group but we also understand that we’re in a phase of education,” Fyfe said.
“It’s exciting to see our first and second year players starting to blossom.
“We’ll continuously to work on growth each week and see what the next nine weeks bring.”
Having played the first 12 games of the season, the midfielder missed last week’s clash with Geelong with a bruised sternum.
Fyfe was a withdrawn from the squad on Friday ahead of Freo’s flight east but expects to be fit and ready to play this Sunday against St Kilda.
“I had my bag packed and was ready to jump on the plane,” Fyfe said.
“The medical staff believed an extra week of will give my chest an extra week to heal but this week coming I’ll be fine to play.”
Nat Fyfe in action at training on Wednesday - click here to view the full gallery
