Fyfe in honest look at own job

FREMANTLE captain Nat Fyfe has revealed how mishandling a discipline issue last year “fractured” his relationship with young teammate Connor Blakely.

Fyfe – who was in his first year as skipper – alerted senior coach Ross Lyon to Blakely’s decision to go surfing while absent from training due to illness.

Blakely was suspended for the club’s Round 15 win against St Kilda.

Fyfe told Blakely he would “look after and support” him before deciding he must be punished for the “greater good” of the Dockers.

“I knew I’d made a promise I couldn’t keep,” Fyfe said.

“We had quite a close personal relationship and it fractured our relationship for the best part of six to eight months.

“I had a couple of conversations in the follow-up trying to repair somewhat and explain. But in my head I knew that time was the only thing that was going to (heal it).

“The way I handled it from a professional and a personal point of view, I look back and go, ‘OK, I could’ve done that better’.”

Blakely, 22, was recalled the following week and has played every game this season, averaging 24 disposals.

Fyfe also detailed how losing a boozy bet for not knowing the names of his new teammates served as a “real wake-up call” five years ago.

“It was December so the first-year recruits had been at the club for six weeks,” Fyfe said on the AFL Players’ Association podcast “Captain’s Call”.

“One of the players ... said to me, ‘If you can stand up and name every first-year I’ll scull my beer’.

“I said, ‘No worries’ and stood up and spluttered my way through. There were eight of them and I think I got one full name correct and maybe one or two other first names.

“I thought I could help this organisation by just preparing with a ruthless intensity and being the best possible player I could be. But after that incident I realised there’s so much more I could be doing and building relationships with other players was a big part.”

The qualified helicopter pilot enjoys listening to US surfer Kelly Slater and former president Barack Obama to develop his leadership skills and he also swaps notes with his dad.

THE WAY I HANDLED IT FROM A PROFESSIONAL AND A PERSONAL POINT OF VIEW, I LOOK BACK AND GO, ‘OK, I COULD’VE DONE THAT BETTER’. NAT FYFE