FREMANTLE coach Ross Lyon has challenged his second to fifth-year players to make a statement in 2013, warning his entire group that the off-season is not a time to relax.
After bowing out in a 10-point semi-final loss to Adelaide this year, Lyon said Fremantle needed to prepare for a summer of hard work and the players had been sent away on their breaks with strong fitness programs.
Speaking at Fremantle's Doig Medal presentations on Saturday night, he said the club's young players, led by Stephen Hill and Nat Fyfe, needed to drive the improvement next season.
"I know that Chris Judd, he's not going to be resting in this period," Lyon said at Crown Perth, where Ryan Crowley won his first club champion award.
"(Brad) Sewell and (Lance) Franklin, they're going to be that disappointed, they're going to be fierce in the off-season.
"If you think you can relax, you're sadly mistaken because the best players in the competition who missed out, just think about the work they're doing and how they're going to come back.
"That's how we've got to approach it.
"The players have been sent away with strong programs, they're monitored daily, and all that information comes back to head office, so big brother's watching.
"It's not a break for them - this is active rest."
In his assessment of the 2012 season, Lyon said Fremantle had ticked a lot of boxes in being fit, available and on the same page on game day.
He said the group had made significant improvements and played "a really strong brand of football", particularly in the second half of the year.
"We were able to stand up under the fiercest heat, so that was significant," he said.
"(But) we didn't win the premiership, so clearly we need to improve.
"We were bitterly disappointed and we're not into honourable losses. We're about improving and getting it done.
"We should have been able to get across the line from that position (against Adelaide) and we didn't, so it hurts, it burns and it's driving us."
Fremantle has acquired Sydney Swans premiership player Brett Kirk as an assistant coach for next season as well as Port Adelaide midfielder Danyle Pearce through free agency.
In other list changes so far, Antoni Grover has retired and Jay van Berlo has been cut from the senior list, along with rookies Gavin Roberts and Jordan Wilson-King.
Defender Lee Spurr has been elevated to the senior list, with Lyon forecasting some tough decisions in the coming weeks as Fremantle prepares for the 2012 NAB AFL Draft.
"There's been a couple of tough decisions on the list and there's probably a couple more to come to be frank," he said.
"We've got to sit down and make some decisions. We're going through trade period as we speak and drafting.
"We really have a strong plan, we've analysed where we need to improve, and we'll have a football program that will enable us to grow and improve.
"It's certainly not a period for rest. It's a period for planning and improving."
Nathan Schmook covers Fremantle news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Nathan
