When one of Fremantle’s young guns Chris Mayne fronted the media back in May to talk about having his contract extended until 2010 he impressed everyone with his commitment to the club. Along with fellow draftees Rhys Palmer and Clayton Hinkley, Chris had just become the third Fremantle player from the 2007 National Draft to sign with the Club until 2010. But it was the pride and passion about what the contract extension meant to Chris that packed a punch.

“I love coming in here everyday,” he said at the time.

“I wake up in the morning so excited to come to Fremantle. With all the guys here, they make you feel so welcome. It makes you feel like you’re part of a family – this is my second family.

“Coming here everyday and training and making sure we can all get out on the park is the best feeling in the world.”

It says something about the character traits that Coach Mark Harvey has set about instilling in the whole playing group but particularly young guns such as Chris, Rhys, Clayton, Garrick Ibbotson, Robbie Warnock and Marcus Drum plus emerging players Brock O’Brien and Andrew Foster, who is on the long-term injured list.

Mark has sought to boost their confidence every time they get a game by insisting they “just play footy” and to not even think about getting dropped.

“This is not a criticism of the old regime but we are giving the young guys more opportunity earlier in their careers and they are excelling,” Mark said.

“They are also playing well on the road and at venues they’ve never played at before.
“What I would say about all these kids is that they are not looking for the outside ball…they are getting involved in the heavy duty part of the game.”

The approach has worked for Garrick.

“As each game goes on you get a bit more confidence about what your role is in the team,” Garrick said.

‘From the start the best thing Mark ever said to me was to just play footy. He didn’t fill my head with what he wanted me to do or what the team needed. He said to do the team things and just play footy.”

Garrick, who has played in 15 of the Club’s 18 games this season, has established himself as a midfielder of the future. He was the club’s second NAB Rising Star nomination for the year after picking up 21 possessions and five marks against Carlton in round nine.

“It’s interesting when, as a coach, you give these guys a little bit of freedom and a bit of confidence to see what they can do,” Mark said.

“Ibbo was a kid that was in and out of the WAFL and here he is in 2008, with a NAB Rising Star nomination and having a significant contribution in a number of areas that you look for in younger players.”

But Mark is wary of overloading young players with game time so early in their careers.

“I’m going to have to manage all the first year players, so I’m very mindful of when and where and how long I play them for,” he said.

“It’s very demanding on the young guys…I don’t want them breaking down and having long-term problems.”

Consequently, Mark doesn’t resile from his decision to delay Rhys Palmer’s AFL debut. It meant the 19-year-old played his first game at Subiaco Oval against Hawthorn, instead of the season opening round one clash against Collingwood at the MCG.

“He hasn’t necessarily played in too many wins but in his first year as an AFL footballer Rhys is a consistent playmaker, so even when we are up against it, he’s playing well and that’s terrific,” he said.

“But we will have to manage him as the season wears on.”

After getting over the initial disappointment of not making his debut in round one, Rhys is fully supportive of Mark’s decision to delay his initiation into AFL ranks by one week.

“It probably worked out for the best having my first game at home and getting all my preparation right,” he said.

In any event, the decision to delay Rhys’ debut didn’t impact too negatively on him. He won the NAB Rising Star nomination in only his second game after his round three performance against the West Coast Eagles.

“It was my first Derby, which was pretty exciting but probably more exciting to get the first win,” he said.

“To be part of a winning side is a great feeling, especially when you’ve had a bit of a role in the team’s win.”

That “bit of a role” saw Rhys pick up 15 kicks, nine hand passes and three marks.
“I haven’t really thought about it a lot since,” said Rhys, adding that he just wants to “go out, do my bit for the team and hold my spot”. But he remembers what was required of him after winning the Rising Star nomination as being “pretty full on”.

“I had to do radio interviews, newspaper interviews and interviews with all the TV channels.”

But Rhys, who is one of the favourites to win the 2008 NAB Rising Star, soon learnt how those demands can impact on a young player.

“It was a pretty full-on couple of days and, in the end, it may have made me a bit fatigued because after that we came out and got thumped by Richmond,” he said.

“It was a good learning experience about how not to get too far ahead of yourself.”
Garrick Ibbotson tells a similar story about his Rising Star nomination.

“I didn’t give it much thought that week because I was so disappointed about losing to Carlton after being in front,” he said.

“It wasn’t until the Tuesday when I got a phone call telling me that I’d won, other wise I hadn’t really thought about it.

“It wasn’t the best game that I’d played in but I’d played a few games in a row that were all right and that’s probably what won it for me.”

But Garrick hasn’t felt any extra pressure being a Rising Star nominee.

“The week I won was pretty full-on,” he said.

“I had a lot of interviews and media stuff to do but after that it’s forgotten because every week a new player gets nominated and it’s their turn in the spotlight for a week.”

Although they haven’t played as many games  this year as Rhys, Chris or Garrick, fellow young guns Clayton Hinkley, Robbie Warnock, Marcus Drum, Brock O’Brien and Andrew Foster are still very much on the radar and part of the Club’s future.

“Clayton has got the speed and the character we are looking for,” said Coach Mark Harvey.

“He will be right up there and he’ll catch up with the other guys very quickly once he gets stronger in his body.”

Mark says the match committee has started to settle Marcus down in defence.
“He’s had a few injuries but we are starting to see the signs of him holding down a position in defence,” he said.

“Marcus has got strong values about him…he’s just a solid person.

“He’s also got football nous that we need to take to another level.”

Having played only eight games in two years, the starting point this year for Marcus, who was the Club’s first pick and 10th overall in the 2005 National Draft, was to try and notch 10 games for the season.

“But it’s also about getting in the team and making an impact so I can hold my spot,” said Marcus, who was a member of the 2004 All-Australian Under 18 side.

Marcus said Assistant Coach Chris Scott, who oversees the defenders, had been “sensational”.

“He’s taught me just to keep backing myself and concentrate on what got me here,” he said.

“You have to focus a lot on what your strengths are and keep plugging away at your weaknesses…but really focus on what makes you a good player.”

The approach appears to have paid off.

“By believing in myself and what I can do well has gone a long way towards help building consistency into my game.’

Described by his coach as a “football nut”, Robbie had an interesting time over pre-season, according to Mark Harvey.

“I think in time Robbie and Spider (Aaron Sandilands) will be a great ruck duo,” he said.

“I would like to think that they can stay together for a long time to come.”

According to Mark, 20-year-old Brock O’Brien has got the “spark and glint in the eye” that a coach looks for.

“We played Brock in the Melbourne game (in round 7) and he just needs to tighten up a few areas in his game,” Mark said.

“But once he’s done that, he’ll be a regular player and the opposition will always know he’s playing.

Andrew Foster is on a season ending rehabilitation program to fix a back injury. But once he’s got it right, Mark believes the 22-year-old will be among the Club’s next wave of midfielders.

“Andrew’s a gifted player and he’s got really good football instincts and great awareness,” Mark said.

“He’s smart and can evolve, so in time and once his back complaint is resolved, Andrew will be a part of our midfield,”

Described by Mark as an “interesting kid”, Chris Mayne played State Schoolboys cricket and had to choose between the willow and the Sherrin.

“As a coach he’s got that tenacity that you look for,” he said.

“He wants to work for the team…chase, harass and take on the opposition. He’s been belted a few times and he just gets straight back up.”

Mark is confident that Chris, who was recruited from Perth, will evolve as a career player for Fremantle.

“Chris just needs to get stronger in parts of his body and think more about how he can move up to another level as a player,” he said.

“I’m not going to put expectations on what these guys can be but Chris is an exciting guy to have at our football club because he gives you everything.”

Like he has with all the young guns that have played this year, the senior coach has kept it simple, telling Chris “to just have a crack”.

“Mark’s been really good for me and helped me out with my footy,” Chris said.

“He’s pretty much said that all the stuff I’m doing is keeping me in the side.”

A lot of young footballers say it but when he was growing up Chris genuinely dreamed about playing AFL.

“When you’re a young you’re always out on the street kicking a footy, pretending to be Brent Harvey or Matthew Pavlich kicking goals…but usually between two trees,” he said.

“You think about that and the roar of the crowd. So to get the opportunity now to do something that I love is so surreal.

“It’s amazing to think that not long ago I was little kid watching all these super stars and now you’re playing with some of them as part of an AFL team.”

Chris, who got to live out his AFL dream by making his debut along with Rhys Palmer in round two against Hawthorn, recalls “being pumped”.

“In the warm-up, I was looking at the crowd and going, ‘Oh my God, this is amazing’,” he said.

“Just before we ran out, I remember talking to Rhys and we were both looking each other in the eye and going, ‘this is it’.

“I had a blast from them on…I finished up with a couple of goals and had a bit of fun.
“It was a shame we lost but it was a massive adrenalin rush.”

Chris also remembers being told not to expect too much from his first game and to “just go out and play footy”.

“You have to think that it’s just another game of footy and try and not do anything different with your preparation,” he said.

“Enjoy the challenge, the crowd, everything that goes with it and try to embrace it all.”

Garrick’s memory of his first game, all be it in round 11 against Richmond last year, was one of “nerves”.

“I got told the Thursday before a Saturday game, so I had the worst sleep that night,” he recalled.

“It got a bit better on the Friday but as the game got closer I got more nervous because I was starting on the bench.

“I’d been told that I would be going on about the 10 minute mark, so I was just waiting and looking at the clock. But about the seven minute mark, I was told to go straight on…the waiting was finally over.

“Although I remember how nervous I was, I also kicked a goal in the last quarter, so that’s a pretty special memory.”

When Garrick first ran out onto the ground he could hear the roar of the crowd but once the ball was bounced it was like someone had hit the mute button.

“You don’t really register the crowd is there until a goal is scored,” he said.

“If the ball is anywhere near where you are, you are so focused on the ball or who you are playing on that everything else fades out.

Garrick’s first possession in AFL football came from a Shaun McManus kick on the wing.

“Straight away, I thought, ‘I’ve got to get rid of the ball’,” he said.

“I looked and looked but couldn’t see anything…then I kicked it inboard to Belly (Peter Bell).

“After that I felt all right because with your first possession you know everyone is looking at you.”

Rhys recalls his debut game as one of the “biggest days of my life”.

“Being my first AFL game and playing in front of my friends and family and a home crowd at Subiaco was massive,” he said.

“To be honest though it was a bit of blur but really exciting to be running out with all the boys in front of a home crowd.

“To lose was pretty disappointing but I got a few kicks, so I was pretty happy.”
Chris, Garrick and Rhys’ memories of their debut games are almost as different as their goals for 2008.

“My goal in the first year wasn’t about how many games I’d play but more about developing my play and learning new skills,” Rhys said.

“Obviously, my whole game needs working on and with the coaches we just keep talking about the things that need to be worked on.

“The other challenge is dealing with the impact on your body and how you pull up after each game.

“It’s probably starting to take a bit longer to fully recover after each game. That’s probably one of my main challenges, especially in your first year.”

As for his toughest opponent so far, Rhys said there was not one player he could single out so far.

“Every team has their good players…you run out on the ground and play along side them and you learn so much from them,” he said.

“Every team has their great players but playing against Robert Harvey in the St Kilda game was pretty special for me because I grew up admiring him. He was my hero, so that was a pretty positive experience.”

Garrick’s goal for the year is to play a more consistent game.

“After about round five or six, I’d play a few games, so what I wanted to do was hold my spot for the rest of the season.

“Having a Rising Star nomination is a bonus but all I really want to do is develop as a player.”

Garrick believes the challenges in AFL change with the number of games you play and who you are playing against.

“In my first game the biggest challenge for me was the pace of the game and having such bigger bodies around me,” he said.

“But with each game I play it gets a bit easier. You pick up the pace and get used to it.”

While pace was a the biggest challenge in Garrick’s earlier games, now that he’s spending more time in the midfield, there are other aspects to focus on.

“Playing a bit more in the midfield means I’ve got to keep my fitness up as well as trying to get a bigger body so I can withstand a bump and still keep going for the footy,” he said.

“But things like that can always change. As the games go on my role might change, so as my experience grows, so do the challenges.”

Garrick came up against his toughest opponent so far in the Club’s 53 point win over North Melbourne in round 12.

“I played on Brent Harvey and he was really, really hard to play on,” he said.

“Although he’s not that big, he’s very quick off the mark. He’s played so much footy and is a champion player. It was a good learning curve for me but a really tough day.”

Chris’ priority at the start of the year was to be able to train regularly.

“My main goal is to make sure my body is fit so I can train well and get picked for selection,” he said.

“Now my goals are based on working on certain things during a game…and then on being a regular part of the side so I can play every weekend.”

His toughest opponent so far was Hawthorn’s Campbell Brown.

“I played on him in my first game and he was pretty hard in the first half but then he went off me,” he said.

“It’s a bit hard to judge really because in the WAFL you may only get one opponent in a game but in the AFL you can have any number of opponents in one game.

Ideally, Mark Harvey would like to have given his young guns more opportunity to play along side the likes of Paul Hasleby and Des Headland. But injuries to both senior players seriously curtailed that prospect.

“We’ve lost some creative players but these young blokes are quickly learning how to be creative,” Mark said.