FREMANTLE tagger Garrick Ibbotson has declared he's ready to take on any role the coach asks of him after matching it with Carlton captain Chris Judd in Saturday night's nail-biting seven-point win at Gold Coast Stadium.

The 21-year-old has only played 27 games but handled the task on Judd with aplomb, gathering 23 disposals of his own and providing great drive off half-back.

"I wanted to try and get a bit of the ball myself," Ibbotson said.

"I had a focus of starting with Judd and playing on him but at the same time I wanted to be able to make sure that I could try and get some of the ball myself and not just be 100 per cent committed to working with him."

Though Judd still had 28 disposals and kicked one goal, it was an entertaining and even match-up with both players running freely across the ground.

It was also an education for the Fremantle youngster.

"It was a big experience. I’ve never really played on anyone like Judd before," Ibbotson said.

"He’s so quick and he’s so smart and if you lose concentration for a little bit he really hurts you the other way.

"A couple of times he got away from me. It was just a simple thing. I lost a bit of concentration and he was gone and I think I learnt a lot from that and it was really beneficial for me."

Fremantle coach Mark Harvey singled out Ibbotson in his post-match press conference.

"I think Ibbotson on Judd was as important as anything," Harvey said.

"Playing on the star player and the younger player in only his 20-odd games, to pit him up against a guy like that shows we’re growing."

Ibbotson expects his role to change this year as he’s rotated through the midfield, wing and half-forward and given the odd tagging role.

"I think it will be a little bit of horses for courses at the moment with such a young side," Ibbotson said.

"With Ryan Crowley and Rhys Palmer out it leaves two spots in the midfield that we have to replace."

The absence of Crowley, Palmer and Des Headland through injury has created important opportunities for Fremantle's young brigade.

"I think it's going to be beneficial for us in the long run, having guys who have almost been in a position where they might not have been so early in their career," Ibbotson said.