With a goal of playing more than 20 games in 2019, Fremantle captain Nat Fyfe said he will take a careful approach to his pre-season. 

Fyfe and his fellow five-plus year players returned to the club on Monday, joining Fremantle’s first to four-year players who have trained at the club for the past fortnight.

While Fyfe said he hopes to see a number of his teammates make a step up through the summer, the elite midfielder remained realistic about what he could achieve heading into the New Year.

“There’ll be a balance, easing back in,” Fyfe said.

“I had a slight clean up on my knee, so I’m a bit later with my off-season preparations. I won’t be flying until after Christmas at least.

“This is my tenth pre-season. No records are going to be set by me in December, January, February.

“I really want to play 20 to 25 games of good footy next year. My focus is to train as much as I can and not be hitting straps until around that round one period and try to play the full year next year.”