Following a slightly different pre-season to previous years, Fremantle midfielder Matt de Boer said the changes were for improvement, not merely to keep up with the competition.
 
“We haven’t been trying just to survive, we’ve been trying to thrive out there,” de Boer said of Freo’s pre-season.
 
“Having a few new coaches come through the door, as well as having the defensive prowess of Ross Lyon.
 
“It’s been really stimulating for the playing group.”

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Ahead of Freo’s first pre-season game against Richmond, the tackling machine de Boer also said he’s looking forward to putting an up and down 2015 behind him.
 
“The past results don’t count for anything and I won’t let anyone dictate my efforts,” he said.
 
“I’ll go out there and put my best foot forward wherever I can.
 
“I plan to work as closely as I can with Ross and my individual coach to get the right feedback and improve wherever I can.”
 
‘Improving’ hopefully means an increased time in the midfield in 2016 for de Boer, who said he’d come back a better player over the pre-season.
 
“I feel like I’m a much smarter player and I’m fitter and stronger than I’ve been before,” he said.
 
“Every game you play, you try and learn something.
 
“I’m trying to improve, so as a contested player I can get the ball and distribute to our outside runners.”