Fremantle is pleased to announce the appointment of Adam Beard as the Club’s new Director of Performance.
Beard has spent the past three seasons at Fremantle, more recently overseeing special projects and innovation, while working in collaboration with players and staff across a variety of football functions. Beard will replace former High Performance Manager Phil Merriman.
“It became very clear through our process that Adam was the standout candidate to lead our Performance Health team into the next phase of the program,” said Executive Director of Football Joe Brierty.
“Adam has proven his value at the Club, more recently working with individual players to unlock their potential in collaboration with our Performance Health and Coaching departments.”
“Adam brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role and his relationships across the Club will serve him well to hit the ground running when our players and staff return for pre-season.”
Before moving home to Perth and re-joining Fremantle in November 2022, Beard spent more than two decades enhancing his distinguished career at a host of prestigious sporting organisations in the US, Middle East and Europe as well as completing a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) at the Université de Lausanne's Faculty of Biology and Medicine in Switzerland.
Four-year stints as Director of High Performance at the Chicago Cubs (Major League Baseball) and Cleveland Browns (National Football League) followed roles as Head of Performance with international rugby heavyweights Wales, plus the British and Irish Lions.
Global experience and expertise was also gathered as Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Qatar’s Aspire Academy of Sports Excellence, Lead Strength and Conditioning Coach with United Kingdom Athletics at the English Institute of Sport and Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at the Australian Institute of Sport.
Beard first became a member of the Freo family when he began his career as the Club’s Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach and Rehabilitation Co-ordinator in 2001.
Fremantle is also pleased to announce that Ben Raysmith will now oversee the Club’s medical team on a full-time basis, after previously working in a part-time consultancy capacity.
Raysmith has been at the Club since 2022 in the role of Head of Medical, while also fulfilling roles with the WA Institute of Sport and Athletics Australia.
“Ben plays a vital role in setting the systems and processing within our highly talented medical team and it is great to have him moved into a full-time role,” said Brierty.
“This will support Adam’s transition into his new position and play a key role in the injury prevention and management of our players.”
Fremantle will now focus attention on appointing a Head of Strength and Conditioning with the process progressing in recent weeks, following the departure of former Strength and Conditioning Manager Jackson Dennis to GWS.
