Matthew Pavlich is confident Fremantle is on course to improve in 2010, pointing to the return of a host of key players missing for most of last season and the natural improvement from the club’s debutants.
Speaking at a press conference at the club’s annual team photo shoot, Pavlich said he was looking forward to the start of the season.
“Having 10 (first year) guys debut last year and the likes of Des Headland, Michael Johnson, Roger Hayden, Rhys Palmer and Ryan Crowley all playing less than 10 games, we feel as though we have a lot of improvement left in us,” he said.
Pavlich said he was looking forward to seeing all the club’s youngsters develop into quality footballers.
“It’s going to be so exciting to watch those guys come through together,” he said.
The Fremantle skipper believed the huge pre-season would hold the club in good stead for round one in nine weeks time.
“With our internal tracking of individuals and some of the testing that we have done there have been some significant results for some individuals, and the broader group as a whole,” he said.
When asked about the 2010 fixtures, Pavlich said the club was looking at the positives.
“Absolutely there are some challenges throughout the draw and we are not shying away from that, but we are excited about what that presents for us and what we can possibly do early in the season,” he said.
Pavlich said that during the pre-season the playing group had set a group of standards they wanted to live by.
“On-field, off-field, the way we play, the way we live our lives, the way we discipline ourselves, it’s all encompassing,” he said.
“They are the standards and the behaviours that we like to set.”
The Fremantle skipper also strongly dismissed questions regarding coach Mark Harvey’s contract disrupting the team’s preparation.
“From our perspective it’s always business as usual,” he said.
“It’s not discussed at any level. We are all focusing on preparing as best we can both from a strategic point of view as well as physiologically come round one.”
