FREMANTLE rookie elevation Clancee Pearce says there's been nothing intimidating about stepping into AFL footy and taking on hardened opponents.
The 18-year-old arrived at Fremantle readymade for senior football, and if the opposition is bigger and stronger, it certainly isn't by much.
Six games into his AFL career, Pearce says the increased training demands and technical on-field set-ups have been a challenge but adjustment to the physicality has been rather seamless.
"They're exactly the same as me, you just need to get in there and do your thing," Pearce told fremantlefc.com.au.
"I love it. If they get stuck into me I give a bit back.
"At AFL level you have to calm it down a little bit because of all the cameras, but I enjoy the push and shove."
Pearce played senior football with WAFL side Swan Districts last season – including the grand final – and shone at the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, winning All-Australian selection and WA's MVP award.
He said playing against bigger bodies in his junior career had definitely helped him, but he still set modest goals for the 2009 season.
"My goals were to play consistent WAFL footy and then hopefully play one or two games this year," he said. "Luckily enough I've played six.
"It's been really challenging. There's a lot more training and a bigger workload than WAFL.
"I expected there'd be quite a lot of running, but not as much as I saw in the pre-season."
Pearce is being moulded into a close-checking, lock-down defender by defensive coach Chris Scott – a player Pearce said he admired as a junior.
Western Bulldogs backman Lindsay Gilbee was another player the quietly-spoken teenager followed closely and he said Des Headland was the teammate that pulled him aside to help him through his first days at the club.
Pearce says he prefers to lead by example on the field, rather than with his voice, and the area of his game he prides himself on is contested possession.
"I suppose with my body shape and size I like the contest and I win most contests I'm in, so contested ball is the big one," he said.
"Reading the ball is also one of my strengths. I do it all right, I suppose. So that's one of the things the coaches have come back to me pleased with.
"Dad always explained the game to me at a young age, so it's always been there."
Development coach Steve Malaxos has had a lot to do with Pearce this season, and he agreed reading the play and running to good positions was the young defender's greatest strength.
"Some guys come from a lot further back than what Clancee has in that regard," Malaxos said.
"He came to the club with that and we've just had to mould it into our game plan."
Malaxos said playing senior football with Swan Districts and representative football for WA last season was the perfect grounding for Pearce and it had made him a supremely confident player on the field.
"He's more confident on the field than he is off," Malaxos said.
"He's very confident on the field and he makes good decisions."
