MIDFIELDER Paul Hasleby says a meeting of Fremantle's senior players when the side was sitting 0-4 kick-started the remarkable turnaround that now has them back in the finals mix.

Fremantle has won three on the trot and, with a logjam of teams on three wins, finds itself outside the eight on percentage.

Hasleby said there had been soft efforts in Fremantle's first four matches, but a focus on "having a crack" and moving the ball quickly had rescued the club's year.

"The senior players got together four weeks ago and said, 'If we're going to turn this around it's going to have to come from us'," Hasleby said from Fremantle Oval on Tuesday.

"It was a leadership thing. When we were 0-4 we were going through a pretty tough time and we needed some people to steady the ship.

"We took it upon ourselves to really turn it around and I think you'll see every senior player has really lifted their work rate and their influence in the game since that point.

"We've all delivered in that area."

The past month has also been celebrated at Fremantle Oval for Hasleby's return to top form after best on ground performances against West Coast and Carlton.

Hasleby said the success of his return from the knee reconstruction that sidelined him for all of 2008 was due in part to a personal line in the sand he drew prior to the start of last season and the opportunities that a year out of football presented.

"When I re-signed my contract with Fremantle I wasn't happy with where my life was at, my footy career in particular," he said.

"I wasn't in great form (and) I was making excuses a lot of the time.

"I've been given a gift, and I don't think I was honouring my gift at that part of my career.

"I really wanted to turn it around and I took the steps to do that."

Hasleby said getting involved in coaching, working in the media and mentoring the side's younger players improved him as a person during his year off the field.  

"Having the extra year sort of gave me the chance to go away and really develop myself in a lot of areas," he said.

"I got a lot out of it and I took it upon myself to learn as much as I could, so when I got back out on the footy field I was back to my best and also became a better team player," he said.