Fremantle AFL famous person Nat Fyfe has revealed he tackled despair and nervousness final yr as a horror run of accidents took a toll on his psychological well being.
Fyfe stepped down as Dockers captain this week after six seasons within the function, with the membership but to announce a substitute.
The resolution got here after a season wherein the twin Brownlow Medal winner managed simply seven video games due to shoulder, again and hamstring accidents.
Fyfe watched from the sidelines because the Dockers broke a seven-year finals drought, and on Saturday revealed his struggles ran far deeper than the floor.
“What was happening on the outside, which was injuries, was just a small reflection of what was going on inside,” Fyfe advised ABC radio.
“I had a good bit to take care of.
“I had a superb arduous have a look at among the illnesses that all of us face as people in life, when it comes to nervousness, despair and a bunch of these inside emotional issues, which then got here out as accidents.
“I had the shoulder that failed, then I got an infection, then I did my back, then I did multiple hamstrings.
“Internally I used to be cooked and I used to be simply combating my method via it, and I simply saved breaking down.”
Fyfe is physically fit again and says he has a fresh outlook as the 2023 season approaches, with Fremantle taking on St Kilda – and former coach Ross Lyon – in round one.
The 209-game champion described his experiences throughout 2022 as a “profound instructing setting” that made him more resilient ahead of his 14th season at the top level.
“If you possibly can undergo that, discover resilience out of it, come out the opposite facet, I really feel like that is the juice I now want for the backend of my profession,” Fyfe mentioned.
“The previous accolades have been getting stale. There’s solely so lengthy you could parrot that you are a two-time Brownlow medallist from years in the past.
“They were starting to get stale and I had no juice and motivation out of them, so a good hard look at rock bottom has fired me back up again.”
Fyfe is about to proceed spending extra time in assault this season because the Dockers’ midfield evolves, with younger weapons like Andrew Brayshaw and Caleb Serong taking the reins within the engine room.
The forward-line function will once more put a highlight on Fyfe’s goal-kicking, which has let him down.
He mentioned he’s trialling new coaching methods to enhance his accuracy.
“It’s my ultimate strength when I get it all lined up but it can tear me apart when it doesn’t quite work,” Fyfe mentioned.
“This pre-season I’m working with a couple of different people more around connecting with that sort of inner voice and that fear, the stress, and getting a good handle on how you can put yourself in the optimal mindset and position to take the shot.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
