Fremantle star Nat Fyfe under pressure as youngster Neil Erasmus, Matt Johnson await more senior opportunity

Dual Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe is set for a make or break start to next season as young midfielders Neil Erasmus and Matt Johnson await more senior opportunities. The duo are viewed as a strong part of the Dockers’ future as they enter their fourth season with the Dockers pushing for a flag. Johnson, 21, is coming off a 19-game season where he established himself in the senior side in several roles including on the wing and as an inside midfielder. Erasmus, 20, only played four games, including three as the sub, instead playing a pivotal role in Peel Thunder’s third premiership, winning the Simpson Medal as the best in the grand final. Fyfe enters the final year of his contract as he nears the 250-game mark early in the year, having averaged only 19 disposals from 22 games last year with only one above 30 touches. Dockers great Paul Hasleby said the 33-year-old was under pressure to hold his spot as Erasmus and Johnson look for regular midfield minutes alongside stars Hayden Young, Caleb Serong and Andy Brayshaw. “There’s pressure on Fyfe for his position … Fremantle have invested quite heavily in these two (Johnson and Erasmus). And for them to take that next step they’ll be looking for a solid output from both,” Hasleby told The West Australian. “Both of them would love to be inside midfielders, but that’s not always possible so they’re going to have to learn other parts of the midfield. The fact that Neil Erasmus stayed, he’d be believing there is an opportunity for him. “For Fyfe to maintain his spot he needs to work on his disposal forward centre and getting back to the offensive beast he was.” The Dockers head into next season with plenty of expectation after adding goalsneak Shai Bolton to the list in a high-profile trade from Richmond. Hasleby echoed the sentiments of several experts, saying Fremantle are set up for a top-four finish after missing finals in the past two years. “It’s set up for them to be top-four. They showed last year they were trending for a top-four finish until they lost their spine to injury late in the season,” he said. “You look at the draw, it has massively helped them. They play Richmond in Gather Round so you assume that’s a win and then the home game against North Melbourne, that’s a tick as well given where both teams are at. “It puts them in a healthy position to get around that 14-win mark if they’re good enough.”