The captain has sat on the sidelines from rounds 4-10, a period Freo lost just one game in to enter the bye week with a 7-2-1 record and a top four position.
Pavlich said a big pre-season on the back of what the club did in the second half of 2012, coupled with a firm belief in the game plan, had left confidence levels very high.
“We were confident leading into this year that we could play a brand of football that would stand up anywhere, anytime, and we've certainly been able to do that,” he said.
But the skipper said it wasn’t just the highs that had aided the side’s improvement.
He pointed to the inconsistent start underRoss Lyon in 2012 as a critical period in Fremantle’s development.
The up-and-down start to Lyon’s tenure as senior coach bottlenecked with a Carlton Mid Derby thrashing at the hands of West Coast in round 9 last year, a game Freo kicked just five goals in.
Despite the media backlash, the messages from Fremantle never wavered away from themes of learning and development.
“It was the way we kept at the system and the game plan when things weren't working for us in the first half of the year,” Pavlich said.
“We would win a few games, but we were quite inconsistent and we lost some.
“I think the guys really saw that, in the end, the way we play is the way we play and it really got us the wins towards the end of the season and into the semi-final.
“Realistically that was just the case again this pre-season, we kept stacking our training and were really consistent with our effort and attitude.”
Following the round 10 win in Adelaide, Lyon paid tribute to the club's "magnificent" on-field leaders, and Pavlich agreed completely with his coach’s sentiments.
“Leadership begins with performance and Luke McPharlin, David Mundy, Matt de Boer, Chris Mayne and Hayden Ballantyne have all been playing pretty well,” he said.
“Clearly they have been able to arrest momentum in games.
“We haven't been blowing teams out of the park, so opposition teams have had momentum and our leaders have stepped up in those moments and not only played well but they have been able to direct and show strong leadership by setting up how we want to set up.”
Pavlich admitted his absence from they side may have forced Fremantle’s younger leaders to step up.
But he said it was important not to underestimate their natural progression and growth as leaders over the pastcouple of years.
“It's been really impressive to see some of the growth, particularly that of Chris, Matt and Hayden,” Pavlich said.
“Certainly, when the captain is out and there is a void, I think it’s imperative for them to stand up.
"I have been really impressed with how they have carried themselves, not only on game day but also preparations upuntil the game.”
As durable as old football boots throughout his decorated career, this spell on the sidelines has been the longest of Pavlich’s career.
It has seen Luke McPharlin step into thegame-day captain role, but Pavlich said he hasn’t needed to give the All Australian defender any pointers.
“Luke has been in our leadership group for a long time, we are the same age,” Pavlich said.
“He's well versed in what it takes to be an AFL player and what it takes to be a leader.
“He is a very professional person and he's been leading the guys with aplomb, so I haven’t had to do much.”
Pavlich said, judging by wins and ladder position, Fremantle was in the best position to attack the second half of aseason in his time at the club.
But he said previous Freo sides had been hurt by an inconsistency in attitude, and warned that any drop off would ruin what had been accomplished so far.
“The position we've found ourselves in is by stacking training and being really consistent with our attitude for a long period of time,” he said.
“That’s why there is a certain level of confidence with where we are at, but unfortunately, that guarantees us absolutely nothing.
“We need to bring it to life once again and really reload in this little period.
“The guys will get away to have a couple of days to refresh, but they have to be back and firing for a big second half of the season coming up.”
Pavlich has been in rehab since round 3 following surgery on his right Achilles tendon.
He will train for the remainder of this week and hope to return in Freo’s round 12 game against Brisbane at Patersons Stadium, but only if he was 100 per cent.
“I have always said I would aim to be back in the game after the bye, but if I’m not certain that I’m ready to go, then we wont risk it,” he said.
“I'm certainly pushing to be available for the game against Brisbane.”
