It’s almost impossible to quantify who has been Fremantle’s greatest player between Nat Fyfe and Matthew Pavlich. And this is before we consider what age-defying feats David Mundy can muster in the coming season(s).
For the pro-Pavlich camp, the argument is easy. His 700 goals are 412 more than any other Fremantle player. His six Doig Medals are three more than any other player.
The pro-Fyfe camp can point to his two Brownlow Medals, putting the midfielder alongside only 14 other players to win multiple Brownlows in AFL/VFL history.
To celebrate Fyfe’s 200th AFL game, here are some other numbers that illustrate his unparalleled contribution to the Fremantle Football Club.
Freo’s top-200 individual performances
Fremantle have played 597 games in Club history, with between 21 and 23 players running out in any given game.
It means in total, there have been 13,082 individual performances going back to 1995. Ranking in the top 200 individual games at Fremantle (a number we’ve picked arbitrarily) would place you in the top 1.5 per cent.
So out of Nat Fyfe’s 200 games, how many have ranked in Freo’s top 200?
CONTESTED POSSESSIONS: 76 times
To get in the top 200 for contested possessions, a Fremantle player would need to have had at least 16 contested possessions in a game.
This is something Nat Fyfe has done a ridiculous 76 times.
Another way to look at it, Nat Fyfe’s 76th best game for contested possessions still puts him in the top 1.5% of individual performances by a Fremantle player.
Fyfe’s career-high of 26 is the most for any Freo player, a feat he’s achieved twice, against Adelaide in 2015 and Richmond in 2018.
CLEARANCES: 51 times
Another stat dominated by Fyfe.
A Fremantle player has managed 14 clearances in a game four times in Club history through Fyfe (twice), Troy Cook and Lachie Neale.
At least eight clearances in a game gets you into the top 200, something Fyfe has done 51 times.
DISPOSALS: 29 times
While David Mundy and Peter Bell hold Freo’s disposal record of 44, Fyfe still features 29 times in Freo’s top 200.
The greatest game
If there’s one individual performance you could point to that drove Fremantle to their minor premiership in 2015, it’s Nat Fyfe’s efforts against Adelaide in 2015.
On that day, he set the Fremantle record for clearances (14), contested possessions (26) and metres gained (959), while also putting up impressive numbers for disposals (40) and inside 50s (10).
Brownlow dominance
There is one stat that puts Nat Fyfe ahead of every single player in AFL/VFL history.
Leading into the 2021 season, Fyfe has averaged 1.05 Brownlow votes per game.
Only Fyfe and fellow West Australian Haydn Bunton Senior (1.04) has averaged more than one Brownlow vote per game in their careers.
The next closest current player is Patrick Dangerfield, who has averaged 0.9 Brownlow votes per game.
Seven quick ones…
150 – Fyfe was the 150th player to represent Freo
5 – This is Nat Fyfe’s fifth season as Fremantle captain. He has now equalled Peter Bell (five seasons) for years as captain of Fremantle’s AFL team and now trails only Pavlich (nine seasons).
11 – He will become the 11th Fremantle player to reach the 200-game mark, joining Matthew Pavlich, David Mundy, Aaron Sandilands, Luke McPharlin, Michael Johnson, Shane Parker, Shaun McManus, Stephen Hill, Paul Hasleby and Antoni Grover.
108 – The number of games Fyfe’s played in WA (79 at Subiaco, 29 at Optus Stadium) with Freo winning 69 of those games.
789 – Fyfe’s career tackle count is the third most-for Fremantle. He only needs nine more to overtake Matthew Pavlich (798) to move into second place.
292 – Fyfe’s contested marks is the fourth most for Freo and his average of 1.47 per game is especially high for an inside midfielder. Only Pavlich, Sandilands and McPharlin have taken more contested grabs.
769 – Nat Fyfe’s inside 50s is the fourth most for Freo, trailing only Pavlich, Mundy and Stephen Hill.
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No holding back - Fyfe looks beyond 200
