Fremantle Dockers use veteran Nat Fyfe as run-with midfielder with great success in win over Sydney Swans

In their famous victory over ladder-leaders Sydney on Saturday, Fremantle may have unlocked the latest iteration of Nat Fyfe — a run-with midfielder

The two-time Brownlow medallist was sent to Swans star Isaac Heeney, restricting the Brownlow Medal fancy to 20 disposals and no goals.

It came as part of a back-and-forth midfield battle that shaped the game. Fremantle won the clearances 42 to 22 in a one-point triumph over benchmark team in the competition.

The veteran had 22 disposals and eight clearances himself.

Coach Justin Longmuir said his former captain was completely willing to sacrifice his role for the good of the team. And the team was good.

“We gave him the role to monitor Heeney, especially around stoppage,” Longmuir said.

“He wants to help us win. Fyfey doesn’t care how many possessions he gets after the game, he looks at ‘can I play a role to help the team win’.

“Last week he did a slightly different role for us, which I thought on review was really effective for us given who we were playing and there strengths.

“I said to him earlier in the week that this would be a possibility and he was all for it, he wants to contribute to a winning team.”

Longmuir refused to weigh in on where the victory sits in his time at the club, but it sits with the 2022 elimination final comeback over the Western Bulldogs as among the best.

The Swans had been on a 10-match winning run and were two games clear at the top of the ladder.

But Longmuir did concede that Logan McDonald’s shot after the siren left him with “a few more grey hairs” and said the Dockers got “a little bit lucky”.

“We take the win, but we got a little bit lucky that last quarter.

“There were a couple of games earlier in the season where we were probably the better team and lost.

“I have seen other teams buckle under that pressure though and I said to the players after the game, I didn’t think we buckled.

“Away from home against a team three games clear on top of the ladder, it’s easy to do, feel the pressure and go into your shell.

“I think we deserved the win.”

Fyfe’s defensive efforts were matched by first-year player Josh Draper, who won or split four one-on-one contests in the tense final minutes and took a clutch intercept mark.

The breakout performance came in the absence of captain Alex Pearce and a week after he was dropped from the side.

“I thought Drapes, in particular at the end, did a great job, on McLean in particular who was hurting us at the end,” Longmuir said.

“Some of his contests in that last quarter, where he was probably out of position, to get back, find body and get it over for points or go at the ball and mark it himself, I thought he really stood up.

“He has got some serious athletic talent for a young player and I am just really pleased with how he backed himself today.

“I’ve been onto him about playing with an assertive mindset and being decisive and trusting himself, backing himself in. I thought he did that today in most contests.”

Sam Sturt kicked three goals, despite being under an injury cloud coming into the clash, while Brandon Walker battled with an AC joint problem in his shoulder.

Longmuir said the plan was for Brennan Cox to return for the first time since round one in their clash with Richmond next Saturday night if he got through Peel Thunder’s WAFL match with Subiaco.