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A training reunion with former Gold Coast teammate Harley Bennell has Brandon Matera looking forward to the return of the full Fremantle squad this coming Monday.
Every player, apart from fellow new recruit Nathan Wilson, will be back at Fremantle for pre-season training on 20 November, with Wilson given more time due to playing finals for GWS.
Kicking 124 goals from 101 games for the Suns from 2011 to 2017, Matera has already been reunited with Bennell, who arrived at Freo during the 2015 off-season.
Matera was at the WAFL Grand Final at Domain Stadium on 24 September, watching younger brother Bailey in Subiaco’s reserves premiership win over South Fremantle.
“I came back for the WAFL grand final and saw Harley over that weekend,” Matera said.
“He is pretty excited, I told him then I was coming back so we’ve kept in contact almost daily.
“It’s been good. I’m looking forward to him being out here and back on the same team.”
At just 25-years-old, Matera is looking to forward to being one of Freo’s more experienced players as he joins a developing list.
“The boys they have got in are very young and we’ve obviously got quite a few experienced players here as well,” Matera said.
“We’ll go to the draft with two top picks. So next year is going to be exciting I reckon in our second year of rebuilding. There’s exciting times ahead.”
After speaking to senior coach Ross Lyon, Matera says he can expect a similar role that he had at the Suns in 2017, where he kicked 22 goals from 10 games before his season was cut short with a foot injury
“We (Matera and Lyon) had a little bit of discussion, I’ll probably play more forward and swapping in the midfield every now and then,” Matera said.
“So that’s why I’ve got to build my tank up so I can get up the ground and do what I did sort of this year.”
The role means Matera can expect to spend plenty of time up front with Hayden Ballantyne.
“I can’t wait to even just meet him (Ballantyne),” Matera said.
“I haven’t really met him yet so I’m excited to play with him as well. He’ll obviously teach me some tricks. But there’s good competition up forward for spots so it’s going to be good to work with all those boys and get to know them and hopefully gels a good forward line.”
