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Coronavirus: Delayed start looming for AFL season
Mark RobinsonThe West Australian
Thursday, 12 March 2020 1:41PM

The AFL is preparing for the possibility of a delay to the start of the 2020 season, with boss Gillon McLachlan holding daily briefings on the rapidly-developing coronavirus threat.
Chief executive Gillon McLachlan is chairing daily emergency briefings with clubs, the government and health groups and the Herald Sun has learnt that, as of today, the AFL couldn’t guarantee next Thursday’s season opener going ahead.
“This is not moving by the day, this is moving by the hour,” an AFL source said.
“There are some big calls to make.”
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America’s National Basketball Association has suspended its season after Utah’s Rudy Gobert tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.
Only hours earlier, NBA officials and owners indicated games would be played as scheduled with fans locked out.
It’s not known how long the season will be suspended.
Victoria’s chief health officer Dr Brett Sutton has the power to enforce a crowd lockout at sporting events.
McLachlan is working closely with Dr Sutton’s department.
AFL boss Gillon McLachlan has a kick on the MCG last year. Credit: News Corp Australia, Alex Coppel.The health priority is to slow down the spread of the virus to help ease the burden on the state’s health system.
No decision has been made about this weekend’s Grand Prix which usually attracts several hundred thousand fans to Albert Park on Sunday.
The growing crisis is a huge test of McLachlan’s leadership.
It’s understood he will have no hesitation in cancelling football matches to protect the health of the football industry and the greater community.
It’s believed the AFL will plan to ensure all 22 rounds of the season will be played.
That could mean, in terms of catch-up, playing on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights, clubs being forced to play three matches over a two-week period in a revised schedule and possibly extending the season into October.
Key talks are being held with clubs about the financial burden they will be confronted with.

 
FreoRicci said:
North has always been an underrated get for us. Can play, gets the ball a bit. Same draft class as Cerra and Brayshaw and they have a lot of respect and rap for him.
Click to expand...
We picked up both of Valente and Serong as well. Would seem to be a stockpiling of inside mids to rival toilet-paper-gate. Anyway, will be good to see him debut and get a shot at it.
 

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wayToGo_ said:
Loved watching Fyfe go through the transition from old coach to new coach. How he now speaks about Longmuir means a lot because he has taken the time to really think about and experience what JLo is bringing to the table.
Click to expand...
I think Fyfe has shown enormous maturity in stating that he loved Ross, and appreciated what Ross bought to the club BUT... Ross has gone and he is now throwing his support 100% behind Justin. That doesn't mean bagging Ross out, it just means accepting the world as it currently exists and working with it.

It would be nice if we on here could take the same attitude.
 
Cesoir said:
I think Fyfe has shown enormous maturity in stating that he loved Ross, and appreciated what Ross bought to the club BUT... Ross has gone and he is now throwing his support 100% behind Justin. That doesn't mean bagging Ross out, it just means accepting the world as it currently exists and working with it.

It would be nice if we on here could take the same attitude.
Click to expand...
couldn't have been more clear that he took the sacking of Ross really hard, in those interviews after the brownlow it was really obvious. Listening to him talk scared me that the wrong decision had been made, listening to him get behind JLo now fills me with confidence that the right decision was made.
 
showemhowtorock said:
couldn't have been more clear that he took the sacking of Ross really hard, in those interviews after the brownlow it was really obvious. Listening to him talk scared me that the wrong decision had been made, listening to him get behind JLo now fills me with confidence that the right decision was made.
Click to expand...

He has moved on, unlike some supporters who can't .
 
showemhowtorock said:
couldn't have been more clear that he took the sacking of Ross really hard, in those interviews after the brownlow it was really obvious. Listening to him talk scared me that the wrong decision had been made, listening to him get behind JLo now fills me with confidence that the right decision was made.
Click to expand...
Fyfe understandably would have been worried, he was sold a plan when he signed on for 7 years and that plan would have included Ross and Rosich.

Neale was one of a few that didn't buy into that plan in the end so we are lucky that Fyfe was already locked up.

He will and has moved on as he has probably come to the conclusion that this will eventually be better for the club.
 
FYFE WINDOW SHRINKING



Seven years ago, 7NEWS signed Nat Fyfe as one of our football contributors. He was fresh faced — at 22, already a star. The next big, big thing. I had to head to Lake Grace for an introductory type piece. His background. His hometown. His story. I called him the night before to set up the shoot. I was keen to get some shots of him driving the family trucks and pretending to help with the livestock transportation. Me: We just need a few shots mate, nothing too serious. Fyfe: Sure. See you at 6am. My cameraman Trent Nind and I made the four-hour drive and rocked up at Fyfe Transport at 5.45am, ready to have this wrapped up by brunch. Or so we thought. You see, Nat Fyfe doesn’t cut corners. He doesn’t fake hard work, let alone camera vision. Oh no. Nat, Trent and I climbed aboard the truck, and we didn’t return until it was dark. It was a 13-hour day. Sheep were transported from one farm to another, herded, delivered on time and with a firm handshake. This was a future club captain, a future two-time Brownlow medallist, on his mid-season break, doing what he’s always done. Helping with the family business — never shirking hard work. And that’s all you really need to know about Nat Fyfe. Fast-forward seven years and Fyfe is at the most crucial point of his AFL career. He’s done everything there is to do individually. If he retired tomorrow Fyfe would be considered the greatest Docker of all time and sits comfortably aside the modern greats — Judd, Voss, Hird, Goodes, Martin, McLeod ... even Carey. At the very least he’s got a seat at the table. But there’s a purple elephant in the room. The ghost of poor decisions past haunting the club’s trophy cabinet. Nat Fyfe needs a flag. If he was to lead the Fremantle Dockers to their inaugural AFL premiership, it would change everything. We’re talking medals forged with his image, statues built of him, children named after him. Every suburb south of Manning will be filled with little Nats. Or Nates if Brian Taylor has any say. Perhaps we’ve always judged players too harshly when it comes to flags. So much must go right, so much is out of your control, so much depends on the list managers, coaches, teammates and administration such as finance, support staff, facilities, oh … and a sheep-truckload of luck. Matthew Pavlich and Jonathan Brown basically had the same career — only one guy landed on a transcendent Brisbane team, and the other was sent to football’s version of The Upside Down. All because Brown’s dad played 51 games for Fitzroy in the late 70s. Seriously. That’s it. Brown remains the luckiest father-son pick in football and second is not close. Not only did his dad play just 51 games to create eligibility but Brisbane had to merge with Fitzroy at the exact right time — when Brown was 15. An entire shift in the AFL landscape gifted a generational centre half-forward to the Lions just as they were putting together one of the great playing lists of all-time . The AFL changed the eligibility rules shortly after Brown’s recruitment. Anyway, I digress. The point is — luck and situation have a lot to do with achieving ultimate success. Fyfe’s career has followed an eerily similar path to that of his mentor, Pavlich. Undoubted talent. Constantly delivers on small and big stages. Shifted around the ground like some kind of jacked-up football Swiss Army Knife. Built like Tarzan, plays like Tarzan. Surrounded by teammates who could carry his bags … but would probably drop them from time to time. Pav had Sandilands and Bell and Hasleby and Mundy and McPharlin and Fyfe. Fyfe had Pav and Sandilands and Neale, has Mundy and Walters and Pearce. After that it gets all purple hazy, and not in the cool way Prince described it. They both tasted moderate team success — in 2013 they were Fremantle’s two best players. Pav the veteran warhorse still feared and revered. Fyfe just scratching the surface of his soon-to-be dominance. They lost a grand final they should’ve won, a result that changes this entire column and every conversation we have about either bloke for the next few decades. No big deal. Pav never got another chance. His window slammed shut. But Fyfe? There’s a slight breeze coming from Cockburn. Justin Longmuir is full of life, ideas and hope. Depending on who you ask, he’s a defensive genius or freewheeling, enjoy-our-football kind of coach. We’ll have to wait and see. Michael Walters is at the peak of his magical powers. Alex Pearce is elite. Rory Lobb keeps getting better. Luke Ryan is a find. David Mundy might have something left in the tank — after all, it does seem to be bottomless. But it’s not those guys that’ll keep Fyfe’s window open. It’s Gen Z. Andrew Brayshaw, Adam Cerra, Hayden Young, Sean Darcy, Liam Henry, Caleb Serong and Sam Sturt. All of these kids have star potential, with varying degrees of twinkle. It’s starting to look like the Dockers might have something. Something different. Sure, it could be another tease. Another haze that turns out to be more of a light fog, or even a dusty fart. Or maybe it’s the blueprint of Fremantle’s first premiership. But Fyfe is 28 years old. How long can he keep playing at this ludicrous level? How long can he keep carrying the purple army? Not forever. He’s in the top one per cent of AFL players in terms of looking after his body. He’s religious with Pilates and ice baths. He spends his own money to invest in health and wellbeing, in his career longevity. There’s not a chocolate bar in sight at his place. But everyone has a clock, and his is ticking. This version of the Dockers — this coach, this Gen Z group, this Sonny Walters, the Robin to his Batman — this HAS to be the group that delivers. And they have to accelerate development. Fyfey doesn’t have another full-blown rebuild in his timeline. The Dockers need to capitalise on their once-in-a-generation midfielder before it’s too late. Fyfe deserves a premiership. But then again, so did Pav. So did Matthew Richardson, Robert Harvey, Tony Lockett, Nick Riewoldt and Gary Ablett senior. Deserves doesn’t matter. Only everything else. One more thing on that Lake Grace trip in 2013. The following morning Trent and I started making our way back to Perth. We were at a roadhouse, about an hour out of Lake Grace, walking out with our cheese and bacon pies, probably a little hungover. We heard a truck horn and looked up. It was Fyfe, hanging out the window, waving at us as he cruised past behind the steering wheel of another full load of livestock. Because Nat Fyfe doesn’t fake hard work.
 

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Dale147 said:
FYFE WINDOW SHRINKING



Seven years ago, 7NEWS signed Nat Fyfe as one of our football contributors. He was fresh faced — at 22, already a star. The next big, big thing. I had to head to Lake Grace for an introductory type piece. His background. His hometown. His story. I called him the night before to set up the shoot. I was keen to get some shots of him driving the family trucks and pretending to help with the livestock transportation. Me: We just need a few shots mate, nothing too serious. Fyfe: Sure. See you at 6am. My cameraman Trent Nind and I made the four-hour drive and rocked up at Fyfe Transport at 5.45am, ready to have this wrapped up by brunch. Or so we thought. You see, Nat Fyfe doesn’t cut corners. He doesn’t fake hard work, let alone camera vision. Oh no. Nat, Trent and I climbed aboard the truck, and we didn’t return until it was dark. It was a 13-hour day. Sheep were transported from one farm to another, herded, delivered on time and with a firm handshake. This was a future club captain, a future two-time Brownlow medallist, on his mid-season break, doing what he’s always done. Helping with the family business — never shirking hard work. And that’s all you really need to know about Nat Fyfe. Fast-forward seven years and Fyfe is at the most crucial point of his AFL career. He’s done everything there is to do individually. If he retired tomorrow Fyfe would be considered the greatest Docker of all time and sits comfortably aside the modern greats — Judd, Voss, Hird, Goodes, Martin, McLeod ... even Carey. At the very least he’s got a seat at the table. But there’s a purple elephant in the room. The ghost of poor decisions past haunting the club’s trophy cabinet. Nat Fyfe needs a flag. If he was to lead the Fremantle Dockers to their inaugural AFL premiership, it would change everything. We’re talking medals forged with his image, statues built of him, children named after him. Every suburb south of Manning will be filled with little Nats. Or Nates if Brian Taylor has any say. Perhaps we’ve always judged players too harshly when it comes to flags. So much must go right, so much is out of your control, so much depends on the list managers, coaches, teammates and administration such as finance, support staff, facilities, oh … and a sheep-truckload of luck. Matthew Pavlich and Jonathan Brown basically had the same career — only one guy landed on a transcendent Brisbane team, and the other was sent to football’s version of The Upside Down. All because Brown’s dad played 51 games for Fitzroy in the late 70s. Seriously. That’s it. Brown remains the luckiest father-son pick in football and second is not close. Not only did his dad play just 51 games to create eligibility but Brisbane had to merge with Fitzroy at the exact right time — when Brown was 15. An entire shift in the AFL landscape gifted a generational centre half-forward to the Lions just as they were putting together one of the great playing lists of all-time . The AFL changed the eligibility rules shortly after Brown’s recruitment. Anyway, I digress. The point is — luck and situation have a lot to do with achieving ultimate success. Fyfe’s career has followed an eerily similar path to that of his mentor, Pavlich. Undoubted talent. Constantly delivers on small and big stages. Shifted around the ground like some kind of jacked-up football Swiss Army Knife. Built like Tarzan, plays like Tarzan. Surrounded by teammates who could carry his bags … but would probably drop them from time to time. Pav had Sandilands and Bell and Hasleby and Mundy and McPharlin and Fyfe. Fyfe had Pav and Sandilands and Neale, has Mundy and Walters and Pearce. After that it gets all purple hazy, and not in the cool way Prince described it. They both tasted moderate team success — in 2013 they were Fremantle’s two best players. Pav the veteran warhorse still feared and revered. Fyfe just scratching the surface of his soon-to-be dominance. They lost a grand final they should’ve won, a result that changes this entire column and every conversation we have about either bloke for the next few decades. No big deal. Pav never got another chance. His window slammed shut. But Fyfe? There’s a slight breeze coming from Cockburn. Justin Longmuir is full of life, ideas and hope. Depending on who you ask, he’s a defensive genius or freewheeling, enjoy-our-football kind of coach. We’ll have to wait and see. Michael Walters is at the peak of his magical powers. Alex Pearce is elite. Rory Lobb keeps getting better. Luke Ryan is a find. David Mundy might have something left in the tank — after all, it does seem to be bottomless. But it’s not those guys that’ll keep Fyfe’s window open. It’s Gen Z. Andrew Brayshaw, Adam Cerra, Hayden Young, Sean Darcy, Liam Henry, Caleb Serong and Sam Sturt. All of these kids have star potential, with varying degrees of twinkle. It’s starting to look like the Dockers might have something. Something different. Sure, it could be another tease. Another haze that turns out to be more of a light fog, or even a dusty fart. Or maybe it’s the blueprint of Fremantle’s first premiership. But Fyfe is 28 years old. How long can he keep playing at this ludicrous level? How long can he keep carrying the purple army? Not forever. He’s in the top one per cent of AFL players in terms of looking after his body. He’s religious with Pilates and ice baths. He spends his own money to invest in health and wellbeing, in his career longevity. There’s not a chocolate bar in sight at his place. But everyone has a clock, and his is ticking. This version of the Dockers — this coach, this Gen Z group, this Sonny Walters, the Robin to his Batman — this HAS to be the group that delivers. And they have to accelerate development. Fyfey doesn’t have another full-blown rebuild in his timeline. The Dockers need to capitalise on their once-in-a-generation midfielder before it’s too late. Fyfe deserves a premiership. But then again, so did Pav. So did Matthew Richardson, Robert Harvey, Tony Lockett, Nick Riewoldt and Gary Ablett senior. Deserves doesn’t matter. Only everything else. One more thing on that Lake Grace trip in 2013. The following morning Trent and I started making our way back to Perth. We were at a roadhouse, about an hour out of Lake Grace, walking out with our cheese and bacon pies, probably a little hungover. We heard a truck horn and looked up. It was Fyfe, hanging out the window, waving at us as he cruised past behind the steering wheel of another full load of livestock. Because Nat Fyfe doesn’t fake hard work.
Click to expand...
Awesome piece..
 
Dale147 said:
FYFE WINDOW SHRINKING



Seven years ago, 7NEWS signed Nat Fyfe as one of our football contributors. He was fresh faced — at 22, already a star. The next big, big thing. I had to head to Lake Grace for an introductory type piece. His background. His hometown. His story. I called him the night before to set up the shoot. I was keen to get some shots of him driving the family trucks and pretending to help with the livestock transportation. Me: We just need a few shots mate, nothing too serious. Fyfe: Sure. See you at 6am. My cameraman Trent Nind and I made the four-hour drive and rocked up at Fyfe Transport at 5.45am, ready to have this wrapped up by brunch. Or so we thought. You see, Nat Fyfe doesn’t cut corners. He doesn’t fake hard work, let alone camera vision. Oh no. Nat, Trent and I climbed aboard the truck, and we didn’t return until it was dark. It was a 13-hour day. Sheep were transported from one farm to another, herded, delivered on time and with a firm handshake. This was a future club captain, a future two-time Brownlow medallist, on his mid-season break, doing what he’s always done. Helping with the family business — never shirking hard work. And that’s all you really need to know about Nat Fyfe. Fast-forward seven years and Fyfe is at the most crucial point of his AFL career. He’s done everything there is to do individually. If he retired tomorrow Fyfe would be considered the greatest Docker of all time and sits comfortably aside the modern greats — Judd, Voss, Hird, Goodes, Martin, McLeod ... even Carey. At the very least he’s got a seat at the table. But there’s a purple elephant in the room. The ghost of poor decisions past haunting the club’s trophy cabinet. Nat Fyfe needs a flag. If he was to lead the Fremantle Dockers to their inaugural AFL premiership, it would change everything. We’re talking medals forged with his image, statues built of him, children named after him. Every suburb south of Manning will be filled with little Nats. Or Nates if Brian Taylor has any say. Perhaps we’ve always judged players too harshly when it comes to flags. So much must go right, so much is out of your control, so much depends on the list managers, coaches, teammates and administration such as finance, support staff, facilities, oh … and a sheep-truckload of luck. Matthew Pavlich and Jonathan Brown basically had the same career — only one guy landed on a transcendent Brisbane team, and the other was sent to football’s version of The Upside Down. All because Brown’s dad played 51 games for Fitzroy in the late 70s. Seriously. That’s it. Brown remains the luckiest father-son pick in football and second is not close. Not only did his dad play just 51 games to create eligibility but Brisbane had to merge with Fitzroy at the exact right time — when Brown was 15. An entire shift in the AFL landscape gifted a generational centre half-forward to the Lions just as they were putting together one of the great playing lists of all-time . The AFL changed the eligibility rules shortly after Brown’s recruitment. Anyway, I digress. The point is — luck and situation have a lot to do with achieving ultimate success. Fyfe’s career has followed an eerily similar path to that of his mentor, Pavlich. Undoubted talent. Constantly delivers on small and big stages. Shifted around the ground like some kind of jacked-up football Swiss Army Knife. Built like Tarzan, plays like Tarzan. Surrounded by teammates who could carry his bags … but would probably drop them from time to time. Pav had Sandilands and Bell and Hasleby and Mundy and McPharlin and Fyfe. Fyfe had Pav and Sandilands and Neale, has Mundy and Walters and Pearce. After that it gets all purple hazy, and not in the cool way Prince described it. They both tasted moderate team success — in 2013 they were Fremantle’s two best players. Pav the veteran warhorse still feared and revered. Fyfe just scratching the surface of his soon-to-be dominance. They lost a grand final they should’ve won, a result that changes this entire column and every conversation we have about either bloke for the next few decades. No big deal. Pav never got another chance. His window slammed shut. But Fyfe? There’s a slight breeze coming from Cockburn. Justin Longmuir is full of life, ideas and hope. Depending on who you ask, he’s a defensive genius or freewheeling, enjoy-our-football kind of coach. We’ll have to wait and see. Michael Walters is at the peak of his magical powers. Alex Pearce is elite. Rory Lobb keeps getting better. Luke Ryan is a find. David Mundy might have something left in the tank — after all, it does seem to be bottomless. But it’s not those guys that’ll keep Fyfe’s window open. It’s Gen Z. Andrew Brayshaw, Adam Cerra, Hayden Young, Sean Darcy, Liam Henry, Caleb Serong and Sam Sturt. All of these kids have star potential, with varying degrees of twinkle. It’s starting to look like the Dockers might have something. Something different. Sure, it could be another tease. Another haze that turns out to be more of a light fog, or even a dusty fart. Or maybe it’s the blueprint of Fremantle’s first premiership. But Fyfe is 28 years old. How long can he keep playing at this ludicrous level? How long can he keep carrying the purple army? Not forever. He’s in the top one per cent of AFL players in terms of looking after his body. He’s religious with Pilates and ice baths. He spends his own money to invest in health and wellbeing, in his career longevity. There’s not a chocolate bar in sight at his place. But everyone has a clock, and his is ticking. This version of the Dockers — this coach, this Gen Z group, this Sonny Walters, the Robin to his Batman — this HAS to be the group that delivers. And they have to accelerate development. Fyfey doesn’t have another full-blown rebuild in his timeline. The Dockers need to capitalise on their once-in-a-generation midfielder before it’s too late. Fyfe deserves a premiership. But then again, so did Pav. So did Matthew Richardson, Robert Harvey, Tony Lockett, Nick Riewoldt and Gary Ablett senior. Deserves doesn’t matter. Only everything else. One more thing on that Lake Grace trip in 2013. The following morning Trent and I started making our way back to Perth. We were at a roadhouse, about an hour out of Lake Grace, walking out with our cheese and bacon pies, probably a little hungover. We heard a truck horn and looked up. It was Fyfe, hanging out the window, waving at us as he cruised past behind the steering wheel of another full load of livestock. Because Nat Fyfe doesn’t fake hard work.
Click to expand...

Who wrote this? Whoever it was is my new favourite journo.
 
estibador said:
Who wrote this? Whoever it was is my new favourite journo.
Click to expand...
I must admit he used to come across like a wc fanboi but i have him and duff as the only afl journos this side of the nullabour worth listening to.
Reports are he spends about the same amount of time bit of time at cockburn and lathlain which is unusual for a 7west journo...
 
Dale147 said:
FYFE WINDOW SHRINKING



Seven years ago, 7NEWS signed Nat Fyfe as one of our football contributors. He was fresh faced — at 22, already a star. The next big, big thing. I had to head to Lake Grace for an introductory type piece. His background. His hometown. His story. I called him the night before to set up the shoot. I was keen to get some shots of him driving the family trucks and pretending to help with the livestock transportation. Me: We just need a few shots mate, nothing too serious. Fyfe: Sure. See you at 6am. My cameraman Trent Nind and I made the four-hour drive and rocked up at Fyfe Transport at 5.45am, ready to have this wrapped up by brunch. Or so we thought. You see, Nat Fyfe doesn’t cut corners. He doesn’t fake hard work, let alone camera vision. Oh no. Nat, Trent and I climbed aboard the truck, and we didn’t return until it was dark. It was a 13-hour day. Sheep were transported from one farm to another, herded, delivered on time and with a firm handshake. This was a future club captain, a future two-time Brownlow medallist, on his mid-season break, doing what he’s always done. Helping with the family business — never shirking hard work. And that’s all you really need to know about Nat Fyfe. Fast-forward seven years and Fyfe is at the most crucial point of his AFL career. He’s done everything there is to do individually. If he retired tomorrow Fyfe would be considered the greatest Docker of all time and sits comfortably aside the modern greats — Judd, Voss, Hird, Goodes, Martin, McLeod ... even Carey. At the very least he’s got a seat at the table. But there’s a purple elephant in the room. The ghost of poor decisions past haunting the club’s trophy cabinet. Nat Fyfe needs a flag. If he was to lead the Fremantle Dockers to their inaugural AFL premiership, it would change everything. We’re talking medals forged with his image, statues built of him, children named after him. Every suburb south of Manning will be filled with little Nats. Or Nates if Brian Taylor has any say. Perhaps we’ve always judged players too harshly when it comes to flags. So much must go right, so much is out of your control, so much depends on the list managers, coaches, teammates and administration such as finance, support staff, facilities, oh … and a sheep-truckload of luck. Matthew Pavlich and Jonathan Brown basically had the same career — only one guy landed on a transcendent Brisbane team, and the other was sent to football’s version of The Upside Down. All because Brown’s dad played 51 games for Fitzroy in the late 70s. Seriously. That’s it. Brown remains the luckiest father-son pick in football and second is not close. Not only did his dad play just 51 games to create eligibility but Brisbane had to merge with Fitzroy at the exact right time — when Brown was 15. An entire shift in the AFL landscape gifted a generational centre half-forward to the Lions just as they were putting together one of the great playing lists of all-time . The AFL changed the eligibility rules shortly after Brown’s recruitment. Anyway, I digress. The point is — luck and situation have a lot to do with achieving ultimate success. Fyfe’s career has followed an eerily similar path to that of his mentor, Pavlich. Undoubted talent. Constantly delivers on small and big stages. Shifted around the ground like some kind of jacked-up football Swiss Army Knife. Built like Tarzan, plays like Tarzan. Surrounded by teammates who could carry his bags … but would probably drop them from time to time. Pav had Sandilands and Bell and Hasleby and Mundy and McPharlin and Fyfe. Fyfe had Pav and Sandilands and Neale, has Mundy and Walters and Pearce. After that it gets all purple hazy, and not in the cool way Prince described it. They both tasted moderate team success — in 2013 they were Fremantle’s two best players. Pav the veteran warhorse still feared and revered. Fyfe just scratching the surface of his soon-to-be dominance. They lost a grand final they should’ve won, a result that changes this entire column and every conversation we have about either bloke for the next few decades. No big deal. Pav never got another chance. His window slammed shut. But Fyfe? There’s a slight breeze coming from Cockburn. Justin Longmuir is full of life, ideas and hope. Depending on who you ask, he’s a defensive genius or freewheeling, enjoy-our-football kind of coach. We’ll have to wait and see. Michael Walters is at the peak of his magical powers. Alex Pearce is elite. Rory Lobb keeps getting better. Luke Ryan is a find. David Mundy might have something left in the tank — after all, it does seem to be bottomless. But it’s not those guys that’ll keep Fyfe’s window open. It’s Gen Z. Andrew Brayshaw, Adam Cerra, Hayden Young, Sean Darcy, Liam Henry, Caleb Serong and Sam Sturt. All of these kids have star potential, with varying degrees of twinkle. It’s starting to look like the Dockers might have something. Something different. Sure, it could be another tease. Another haze that turns out to be more of a light fog, or even a dusty fart. Or maybe it’s the blueprint of Fremantle’s first premiership. But Fyfe is 28 years old. How long can he keep playing at this ludicrous level? How long can he keep carrying the purple army? Not forever. He’s in the top one per cent of AFL players in terms of looking after his body. He’s religious with Pilates and ice baths. He spends his own money to invest in health and wellbeing, in his career longevity. There’s not a chocolate bar in sight at his place. But everyone has a clock, and his is ticking. This version of the Dockers — this coach, this Gen Z group, this Sonny Walters, the Robin to his Batman — this HAS to be the group that delivers. And they have to accelerate development. Fyfey doesn’t have another full-blown rebuild in his timeline. The Dockers need to capitalise on their once-in-a-generation midfielder before it’s too late. Fyfe deserves a premiership. But then again, so did Pav. So did Matthew Richardson, Robert Harvey, Tony Lockett, Nick Riewoldt and Gary Ablett senior. Deserves doesn’t matter. Only everything else. One more thing on that Lake Grace trip in 2013. The following morning Trent and I started making our way back to Perth. We were at a roadhouse, about an hour out of Lake Grace, walking out with our cheese and bacon pies, probably a little hungover. We heard a truck horn and looked up. It was Fyfe, hanging out the window, waving at us as he cruised past behind the steering wheel of another full load of livestock. Because Nat Fyfe doesn’t fake hard work.
Click to expand...
total goosebumps reading this, what a writer
 
Nolo180 said:
I must admit he used to come across like a wc fanboi but i have him and duff as the only afl journos this side of the nullabour worth listening to.
Reports are he spends about the same amount of time bit of time at cockburn and lathlain which is unusual for a 7west journo...
Click to expand...

He probably was a WC fanboy until he spent 24 hours with Nat.
 
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