Fremantle are set to take on the 2021 AFL season from day one with forward Lachie Schutlz thrilled about where the playing group is at compared to the same time last year.

Not only does Schultz rate Fremantle’s game plan under senior coach Justin Longmuir, he said his teammates are further advanced in how they’ve adapted to the game plan ahead of Longmuir’s second season.

“It’s ridiculous how good it (the game plan) is and how everyone is on the same page,” Schultz said.

“Everyone knows it inside out compared to this time last year, it’s so far forward than where we were.”

Fremantle were slow out of the blocks in 2020 with a 0-4 start before going 7-6 for the rest of the year.

Schultz said that his teammates used their close quarters in hubs on the Gold Coast and Cairns to grow as a group and their football improved as a result.

“It’s building really strong relationships with each other and the coaches as well. We’re a really tight group and obviously the hubs helped that,” Schultz said.

“It’s being so young over there and spending a lot of time together, and just all the reinforcements we do of the game plan as well. We spent a lot of time going over it. To be able to do that puts us in really good stead.”

Fremantle will play West Coast for the second consecutive week on Sunday at Optus Stadium as a part of the AAMI Community Series.

Schultz said the clash will have a completely different look to the last Saturday’s scratch match at Lathlain Park, which Fremantle won by 47 points.

This will include in Fremantle’s forward line, with Schultz saying Matt Taberner was good to return from a minor quad injury.

“It’s going to be another step up from last week’s scratch match we played against West Coast,” Schultz said.

“We think it will be a lot more physical (and) probably different sides playing. If we can just keep taking steps forward towards round one, we’ll be very happy.”

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