Fremantle midfielder Nathan O’Driscoll has paid tribute to milestone man Alex Pearce following the captain’s 150th AFL game.

Pearce hauled in seven intercept marks in defence, standing tall while cramping during the last quarter of a high-octane nine-point win over Geelong at Optus Stadium.

But O’Driscoll’s praise was for Pearce’s caring nature off the field, as told to Duck and Oz in the Final Siren podcast post-match.

“I think he’s just like such a caring person – he gets around everybody and he’s been massive for me with my mental health stuff,” said O’Driscoll, who courageously revealed his mental health struggles in a social media post two months ago.

“He (Pearce) obviously lost a mate – Cam McCarthy with a lot of stuff – and he’s been getting around me individually, sending me podcasts to watch and listen to.

“People don’t see that off the field, but he gets around everyone individually and he’s such a caring human being and that’s why I love playing with him.”

O’Driscoll also paid tribute to Pearce’s leadership during the tight contest after finding himself an unexpected ally of the 31-year-old in defence.

“He explains things – I played a bit of half back tonight – and I had no idea at times where I was going,” said O’Driscoll.

“He just bought me in after each goal and he just said “look, you positioned alright there, but you could have done that better.

“He’s problem-solving out there for other people, but also worrying about his own game so it’s unreal.”