FREMANTLE coach Mark Harvey says Matthew Pavlich might find himself playing a different role when he returns from a knee injury, following Fremantle’s stunning 28 point win over Port Adelaide which saw the club amass 20 goals from 16 different goalkickers.

Sixteen individual goalkickers equals the all-time AFL record.

Freo skipper Pavlich – who pulled out before the match with a jarred knee – has 59 goals this season, but the Fremantle coach conceded his side may have become too Pavlich-centric.

“What it just tells me a little bit as a coach is a lot of planning’s done around Matthew,” Harvey said. “Sometimes you’ve got to be able to hide things that you do – and perhaps Matthew might find himself playing in different situations for Fremantle in the near future.

“He’s got a jarred knee, and it’s quite sore obviously to the extent he couldn’t play today. He’ll possibly get up next week (for the Derby against West Coast), we’ll just have to monitor his training.”

Today was the first match Pavlich had missed after 160 consecutive appearances.

The win on the road was Fremantle’s first this year, and saw the club fight back after Port overturned a 36 point quarter time deficit to hit the front mid way through the third term.

“We’ve been getting close over a number of games,” Harvey said.

“The boys have been putting in a lot of effort to redeem what’s been a pretty frustrating year and they’re starting to see the rewards now – albeit too late, so we’re not getting carried away.

“But to play today without Matthew Pavlich and have 15 or 16 goalkickers – which is the most ever I think of any Fremantle side – is a step forward.

“Whilst Port has had a frustrating season themselves, they did play in the Grand Final last year and they have got a deadly midfield. To see us fight that situation off (Port hitting the front) is pleasing.

“We speak about the spirit and the ethos of the footy club, and what we want to stand for. It’s moments like that which present themselves in a game where we’ve got to extend what we do, and we did that today.”

Also pleasing Harvey was his increasing range of midfield options and improved performance at clearances given the ruck dominance of Aaron Sandilands. Fremantle won the clearances today 43-33, with the rejuvenated Byron Schammer leading the way with seven and David Mundy six.

“It’s been forced upon us to experiment, with the players we had either retire or long term injured,” Harvey said.

“We’ve put Mundy in there at different times, and Byron’s lifted significantly in that area. (Chris) Mayne’s getting an opportunity; we had (Jeff) Farmer on the wing at times. (Ryan) Crowley’s really starting to not just be a negator, but to be an attacking midfielder.

“In time that’s going to matter a lot, when we have the ability to have 10 or 12 guys that feel really comfortable about playing in that area. It’s the most highly concentrated area of the game now. You don’t get time to sit back and spectate in that area. That’s been the transition for a lot of guys we’re putting through there.”

Harvey denied former Power midfielder Josh Carr would be heading back to South Australia at the end of the season.

“I spoke to Choco before the game, it’s not on the cards. I’m not sure I’d see any sense in leaving a club and then going back to the same club where you came from.”

Asked whether Carr was happy to stay at Fremantle, Harvey replied: “My understanding is yes.”

And pressed on the future of the in-demand Robert Warnock, Harvey expressed hope Fremantle could quickly retain the young ruckman.

“I think they’re (Sandilands and Warnock) working in tandem really well. Hopefully it (re-signing) happens before the end of the year. There’s been no other thought other than that.

“We might be already into that stage.”

Looking forward to next week’s Derby, Harvey urged the Fremantle fans to fill the stadium.

“We always look forward to playing West Coast, particularly when it’s our home game. Next week I hope that we have a sea of purple that are there to support us, because the boys are starting to find some drive amongst each other.”

And Harvey took what could be seen as a mischievous pot shot at West Coast, emphasising that Fremantle “have been playing every week right out”.

There is also a suspicion that next week’s match could bring down the curtain on the career of favourite son Shaun McManus, who celebrated in the centre of today’s post-game victory song.

“He’s enjoying his last couple of games. And I think that’s where it’s at,” Harvey said. “I think that he enjoys the camaraderie and he obviously knows that it’s coming to an end at some stage. I think every win that we have from here on in, every time, every minute, every hour that he spends with these guys he’s enjoying, and so are his teammates.

“It’s a week-by-week thing (and) Shaun’s fairly keen on calling it a day when he wants to call it a day.”