300 for my loved ones: Pavlich
After keeping it at bay, Matthew Pavlich speaks for the first time about his 300th game on Saturday night
The legendary Fremantle skipper chalks up the triple century against rivals Geelong at Patersons Stadium.
He will be the first player from a WA-based AFL club to reach 300 games.
Pavlich said he had not had time to think about what the milestone would mean to him, but he acknowledged its importance to his family.
“I think it will mean a lot more to mum and dad, my sister Jess and my wife Lauren because they’ve seen the ups and downs, the good times and the bad, the rollercoaster ride that is the AFL over a 15-year career,” he said.
“I think it’s a nice reward for them being there for me. They live and breathe every kick and every bump as much as the players do.
“Family and the people that you really care about in your life deserve to celebrate it as much as I do.”
Match Day Information
Pavlich, who has been crowned club champion and been named an All Australian on six occasions, said his 300th would also be for the Fremantle supporters who’d stuck by him and the club.
“Our fans have been there alongside me through the good and the bad times I’ve had at the football club,” he said.
“Our members are a terrific bunch of passionate supporters who I’ve always embraced and loved being involved with.
“I think my 300th is probably a small reward for them in some sense for seeing those good and bad times together.”
Fremantle will enter the match against the Cats with a 4-4 record. Chris Scott’s side had the bye in round 8 and has only lost one game so far this season.
Pavlich said it was critical for Freo to maintain focus on what was important, which was preparing for the game as if it were any other.
“The leadership group and the coaches are doing a good job of keeping the focus on recovering well from the Port Adelaide game first and then preparing for Geelong,” he said.
“There’s no need to do or look for anything new.
“What we’ve done in the past has been really effective, so we’ll just prepare in the manner that is professional and is expected in an AFL game.”
Helping the Freo captain with the event planning for his 300th has been his wife, Lauren.
“To this point, she’s taken the brunt of it and the club has kept it at bay because I’ve wanted to focus on every other game and playing well, and ensuring that we perform at a high standard,” he said.
“I guess now it’s time to look towards it.”