Fremantle assistant coach Anthony Rock said he is honoured to be coaching the AFLX players in the upcoming competition alongside senior coach Ross Lyon.
“I think we’ll both be coaching, at this point he’s handed over the reigns to me, but I am sure that he’ll have a great input,” he said.
After coaching teams at different levels, including the TAC Cup, and community football, Rock said he is looking forward to the experience.
“It’s a great opportunity for myself to further develop and grow individually and that’s what our club is about, growing extraordinary people on and off the field,” he said.
“I’m really grateful for the opportunity, and am just fortunate enough to be in this position.
"Any of our assistants, Michael Prior, David Hale, Simon Eastaugh, they could have done this job equally and we've all contributed to this point."
With many first year players involved in the AFLX competition, Rock said it was important for them to experience travelling to and from games.
“We had a meeting about that yesterday with the strength and conditioning, our dietician and nutritionist and basically just outlined what the expectations are,” he said.
“It’s really developed over the years, it’s a real routine, you know bring your own pillow and really ensure that you eat at the hotel and be really guided by the strength and conditioning coaches.”
With so many fit players available for selection in the Fremantle Dockers squad, Rock said everyone would be fighting for a spot in the team.
“There’s a lot of competition for spots and I am sure our experienced players they want to perform and be fit,” he said.
“They know that they’ve got some talent underneath- they’ve had really strong pre-seasons, they’ve fitted in really well and got great character and leadership.
“So that puts everyone on notice and it’s exciting for our fans and the club.”
