News New Captain for 2023 - Alex Pearce

Who do you WANT to be Captain

  • Caleb Serong

    Votes: 56 23.8%

  • Andrew Brayshaw

    Votes: 84 35.7%

  • Alex Pearce

    Votes: 88 37.4%

  • Other

    Votes: 7 3.0%
  • Total voters
    235

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Personally I can't buy into this conspiracy theory that some on here have that Management would interfere in the decision for their own nefarious or conservative purposes. Messing with the harmony of the playing group would be downright career suicide.
 
Sully90 said:
Personally I can't buy into this conspiracy theory that some on here have that Management would interfere in the decision for their own nefarious or conservative purposes. Messing with the harmony of the playing group would be downright career suicide.
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I don't know that it's so much a matter of interfering as one of established process.

I found the story I was referring to last post, and it was Garlick not Bell:

“The players submitted their votes yesterday,” Garlick said.

“From here we look to tally those, get input from specific key stakeholders and the coaching group in particular.

“I’d say we’ll have an announcement in the next couple of days. There’s a genuine prospect of having a captain or captains leading the team and more importantly, the leadership group, by Friday.”
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www.fremantlefc.com.au

Garlick on Freo’s ‘absolute focus’, captaincy

Simon Garlick addressed the media during Fremantle's 2023 Season Launch
www.fremantlefc.com.au www.fremantlefc.com.au
 
ignoramus said:
I don't know that it's so much a matter of interfering as one of established process.

I found the story I was referring to last post, and it was Garlick not Bell:



www.fremantlefc.com.au

Garlick on Freo’s ‘absolute focus’, captaincy

Simon Garlick addressed the media during Fremantle's 2023 Season Launch
www.fremantlefc.com.au www.fremantlefc.com.au
Click to expand...

Yes, this was my recollection. It seems the players and possibly coaches vote on the leadership group. From there the club makes a decision on captaincy and I assume in a case where a few players are on the same number of votes they would make the selection.
 

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Mundy and then Fyfe were elected directly as captain by the players, not appointed captain by the club after being elected to the leadership group.
I actually found what the process was from a quote in an old piece:

"Leadership consultant Ray McLean will visit Fremantle in January and the players will hold an annual vote on the leadership group and the captain, with each player voting on their top five choices."

This was the process we were using. They haven't made it clear if that is what they still do and have add the nebulous "key stakeholder input" part. Or if they've binned that process in favour of a different voting process and some "key stakeholder input". Or if the stuff about "key stakeholder input" was just bullshit and we are in fact just using the original process.
 
Paracleet said:
Mundy and then Fyfe were elected directly as captain by the players, not appointed captain by the club after being elected to the leadership group.
I actually found what the process was from a quote in an old piece:

"Leadership consultant Ray McLean will visit Fremantle in January and the players will hold an annual vote on the leadership group and the captain, with each player voting on their top five choices."

This was the process we were using. They haven't made it clear if that is what they still do and have add the nebulous "key stakeholder input" part. Or if they've binned that process in favour of a different voting process and some "key stakeholder input". Or if the stuff about "key stakeholder input" was just bullshit and we are in fact just using the original process.
Click to expand...
I don’t think it’s all that complicated. 3 guys received unanimous votes from the players. Two of those guys were still very young and the other one had been game day captain for the majority of games played in our best season in 7 years. So from those three guys the higher ups selected Pearce for the above reasons. And Pearce was a unanimous vote amongst the group. It’s not like they overruled what the group voted for.
 
s_wd6 said:
I don’t think it’s all that complicated. 3 guys received unanimous votes from the players. Two of those guys were still very young and the other one had been game day captain for the majority of games played in our best season in 7 years. So from those three guys the higher ups selected Pearce for the above reasons. And Pearce was a unanimous vote amongst the group. It’s not like they overruled what the group voted for.
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I think we can safely assume that's not how it works. Apart from the fact it says in black and white they vote for the captain and the leadership group, if the captain was selected from the player with most nominations from 5 from each player there would be ties almost every year.
I think the 'unanimous' quote refered to leadership group nominations, not votes for captain. Which, by the way, I'm not suggesting Pearce didn't win. I'm sure he did.
What I was arguing earlier in the thread is that I feel they must have added their own (as in the footy department) clauses on top of the original process so they could shape outcomes they don't like. Or, alternatively, add stuff to help them achieve other ends. Like add the roll of co vice captain when the process doesn't allow for co's and we don't and have never had vice captains.
This jiggering rules thing is all a guess of mine based on recalling there were rumblings at the time that the players didn't vote for who they were 'supposed' to for 2016 captain with Mundy getting the job before Fyfe. I.e. if someone they don't prefer ever wins a narrow vote then the stakeholder view can just give it to their guy or make them co captain etc.

Apologies for going on and on but after 17 on my cricket clubs committe I'm addicted to back room politicking and rule gaming.
 
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Fat Nyfe said:
Planning for a resurgence in 2024 should start with a respectful handing over of the captaincy, from Alex Pearce to Caleb Serong.

The weight of evidence from the current captain/coach combination is that we are prone to scared starts, and take too long to rally the troops and warm into a game. I won’t forget what Nathan Buckley said about us when he sat in for the Melbourne game this year. When we were at the absolute peak of our season by the way. The whole group seemed insular, introverted, to him. ‘Respectful, professional’ were other media words used which is how it looked since we had a nice win and that’s fine when we are at our best. But you can see how a quiet approach can lead to the early game ambushes we’ve suffered so many of which was the majority case of games, even stretching back to late 2022. Buckley as player/coach was with Collingwood for a long time and they were always known for their excellent away form (when they actually leave Melbourne), they would be the ones doing the ambushing. He’s used to extroverted groups that fire each other up and come out and put their best foot forward.

Caleb Serong is the guy to do that for us. He absolutely bleeds purple, speaks well, strongly, with passion and no mincing of words. He’s the fire in the belly, bull at the gates leader we need for this team. He’ll look everyone in the eye before we run out and have them all hairs on end, psyched, ready to go. He’s not too young. He’s that guy right now and he’ll be a year older in 2024. He’ll make mistakes of course, but don’t be fooled, he eats up pressure. Captaincy won’t be a burden for him. Look up an interview with him around round 10 this year on afl.com.au where he talks about the rising expectations on him from Rising Star to each improving year and how it only spurs him on to be better. This guy will lift even more as captain of the club.

Pearce has done the best he can but captain isn’t a natural fit for him. He’s taking on more responsibility which actually takes him beyond his skill limitations as a key defender which doesn’t help us. He’s now had a couple of years injury free, his form improved in the back half of 2023, and with that plus the captaincy pressure off his shoulders he can return to his best form next year and be the KPD rock we need. He will still marshall the troops in defence and be a leader back there.

This is a proactive move and a win-win situation. Get it done
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The best and most insightful post. Caleb does have the right personality and mindset to get the best out of a team. Ive been wanting this for many years but I knew it would take time time for people to realise how crucial this is for the team. Definitely no dual captaincy to get the best results..
 
genac said:
The best and most insightful post. Caleb does have the right personality and mindset to get the best out of a team. Ive been wanting this for many years but I knew it would take time time for people to realise how crucial this is for the team. Definitely no dual captaincy to get the best results..
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Brayshaw and Serong should be co Captains and share the load.

If anything, Brayshaw as lone captain. Serong knows it’s fair and eh ll be rapt either way
 
Yeah I’m not normally one for co-captains but in this scenario I think having both Serong and Brayshaw as captains is an absolute no-brainer.
I do also feel that Pearce has done a fine job and one year as captain and then getting replaced would be a bit harsh on the poor bloke. His leadership style is obvies a bit different to Serong/Andy but that’s fine and the negativity levelled at him has been unfair. Pretty hard on him but when you’ve got 2 players that are as natural leaders as those 2 it’s pretty hard to ignore.


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www.fremantlefc.com.au

‘Proud’ Pearce to lead again in 2024

Alex Pearce will lead the Fremantle Football Club’s AFL side as captain for a second season in 2024
www.fremantlefc.com.au www.fremantlefc.com.au

‘Proud’ Pearce to lead again in 2024

Alex Pearce will lead the Fremantle Football Club’s AFL side as captain for a second season in 2024


Pearce's outstanding leadership qualities and his significant impact on and off the field have once again earned the trust and respect of his teammates and the coaching staff to lead the side for another season.

The 28-year-old’s reappointment as captain reflects the Club's confidence in his ability to guide the team through the exciting opportunity of the upcoming season.

“I'm incredibly proud and humbled to lead not only the playing group, but this Club that I love so much,” Pearce said.

“Last year had its challenges.

“I learnt a lot in the role, going through those ups and downs in the tougher period made me feel more comfortable in my role as captain.

“I feel very settled and excited for what this year has to offer.

“I'm really excited as to what we can achieve this year and to see how strong and how intense the pre-season has been, I am really excited for next year.”

Executive General Manager of Football Joe Brierty believes that Alex is the type of leader the AFL program needs right now to elevate itself next season.

"Alex embodies everything we value at Fremantle,” Brierty said.

“His commitment, work ethic and ability to motivate his teammates are second to none.

“He's the kind of leader who makes everyone around him better, and we're fortunate to have him at the forefront of the team.”

Andy Brayshaw and Caleb Serong will remain as vice-captains and support Pearce in driving the team forward. Sam Switkowski, Jaeger O’Meara and Hayden Young round out the six-person leadership group.

“The vote again affirms the esteemed that Caleb and Andy are held in across the playing group, we know they will continue to play a massive role in supporting Alex as both our vice-captains,” Brierty said.

“We’re fortunate to have the quality of leaders we have within our leadership group including Jaeger, ‘Youngy’ and ‘Switta’.

“We feel the balance of this group is its strength, as our playing group is very diverse and we believe this leadership group will be able to influence the wider group.”

This is the first time the leadership group has remained consistent since 2020, with three members in Switkowski, Young and O’Meara being added to the group for the first time in February this year.

The faith shown in the playing group to back the same leaders for consecutive years shows the belief in the direction and leadership of the Club.

“There was a lot of change last year with a new captain, new vice captains and new leadership group,” Pearce said.

“We learnt a lot and worked out throughout the year how to best work with each other, and what each other’s strengths are.

“I certainly could not have done it without Caleb and Andy in particular and for Sam, Hayden and Jaeger, it was their first time in our leadership group, and I know they learnt a lot as well.

“We’ve built a strong connection over the last 12 months and for us to continue to work on that growth and continue to work together is exciting.”

“The point of a leadership group is to have an influence over a wide range of the playing group.

“With 45 players on the list there are a lot of different personalities and players are at different stages of their careers.

“To have a group that can influence and align every single player is really important, and we cover all lines as well.”

Pearce's captaincy comes at a time when Fremantle is looking to make significant strides in the competition. With a blend of experienced players and emerging talent, the team is looking to build on the foundations laid in previous seasons.

The belief of its current playing group that the Club is building something special is evident in the recent signings of Fremantle ruckman Sean Darcy and defender Brennan Cox who have committed to the Club until 2030, while Luke Jackson, Jye Amiss, Caleb Serong and Luke Ryan have also committed long-term.

Freo’s captain Pearce will once again have the task of leading one of the league’s most exciting lists as the Club’s core group of players aged 24 and under start to realise their full potential.

Pearce will enter his 11th year in the AFL and second as captain in 2024 with a completely different mindset, which he thinks will set the Club up for success.

“We're going in the right direction; we've got a group that's really driven and focused and just committed to this Club,” Pearce said.

“The feeling right now is that everyone is driven and committed to season 2024 and we're just really excited for that.

“As a group, were focussed and really hungry, having a season like the last that didn't go the way we planned has really burned a fire in a lot of blokes and you can tell that they haven't been waiting for a week or two to get going in the pre-season and waiting till after Christmas.

“Everyone's just come in and giving their best and it's been a really high standard of training, which is great.

“We've got plenty of the pre-season left to go. So, it's exciting to see where that drive and passion can take us.”
 

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poshman said:
If the slow starts epidemic continues and Pearce continues his shaky starts action needs to be taken against decision makers.

Hoping we move past those this season and establish Optus as a fortress.
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If we can start 2024 like we finished 2023, it'll be much improved. Hopefully we have learned from this season.
 
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