Connor Blakely says he has aims to become a well-rounded player as he progresses through his third pre-season with Fremantle.
Blakely had played just one game leading into 2016, and the young midfielder was a revelation for Fremantle playing 15 games at AFL level and a further nine for Peel.
The 20-year-old earned some recognition along the way with a NAB AFL rising star nomination after Fremantle’s round 11 win over Essendon, and earning the Simpson Medal for a best-on-ground performance for Peel in the WAFL Grand Final.
But you won't see Blakely spending too much time focusing on his accolades as Fremantle aims to bounce back from a difficult 2016.
“Coming into my third pre-season now, (I want to) build that fitness base a little bit more,” Blakely said.
“My main focus at the moment is building that fitness and being able to run out games a little better.
“Obviously you’ve also got to focus on skills as that’s the most important part of any game, so that’s what I’m focusing on.”
Blakely is not underestimating the demands on a modern footballer with aims to establish himself in Fremantle’s midfield.
“You want to become a complete player, you have to work on everything all of the time,” Blakely said.
“(It’s about) building on your strengths so you can keep them as your strengths, but you want to work on your weaknesses as well.
“If you want to be a midfielder in this day and age you have to have a pretty good tank. So building on that this pre-season is an aim and definitely my skills as well.”
Despite an impressive 2016, Blakely is happy knowing that he can’t expect to walk into the Fremantle side for round one in 2017.
“There were a lot of key injuries last year, so I think having competition for spots is going to be really healthy this year,” Blakely said.
“The guys we traded in are all really handy players as well. The competition for spots is going to be healthy for the club and it’s strengthening us as a club at Fremantle level and at Peel level as well.
“We’ve definitely bought in during the start of the pre-season and we’re running really well and there’s a bit of a youthful exuberance around the place at the moment.
“We’re really excited for 2017 and there’s a really good feeling around the club.”
Blakely spoke to the media on Tuesday afternoon as one of his final commitments at the club before commencing his Christmas break.
On his return after the new year, Blakely will face a 3km time trial - so he knows not to get too carried away at the Christmas dinner table, while sticking to his training schedule.
“My family are pretty good cooks and my grandma is a really good cook as well so I’ll definitely enjoy a bit of Christmas ham and pavlova,” Blakely said.
“But as Ross and the coaching staff say, wake up, get the job done and then you’ve got the rest of the day to enjoy yourself.”
