Fremantle midfielder Caleg Serong has revealed a sports activities psychologist was the key weapon behind his first Doig Medal.
Serong, 22, added the Dockers’ best-and-fairest award to a maiden All-Australian blazer and stated his work on the “mental” aspect away from the membership was “unbelievable”.
“I can stand here and say that is the biggest part in me getting to where I am this year,” Serong stated.
“There are a lot of doubts that come into AFL players’ heads and you see the confidence out there on AFL game day and the flair.
“That’s not sometimes natural and there are a lot of doubts that creep in.
“I am no different. I had a lot of doubts and last year that was something I let fluctuate.
“When my confidence was down I struggled to perform at times. But the biggest thing we have worked on is what makes me me.
“How I can just get back to no matter what the situation is happening in a game, how I am playing, I know what I am going to do, I know the process mentally and physically to get myself back on task.
“They are simple processes to me that took a fair bit of work to embed. That was all through pre-season and training and in games.
“It’s about coming back to the moment and being present.”
Serong revealed he would usually name the psychologist within the lead as much as video games.
“I will call him at times a night or two before the game with a fair few doubts going through my head,” he stated. “Sometimes all it takes is just getting it off your chest and verbalising it and defusing what’s in your mind.”
A transparent favorite coming into the rely at Crown Perth on Tuesday night time, Serong polled 222 votes, 43 greater than runner-up and 2022 winner Andrew Brayshaw on 179.
Luke Ryan completed third (167), whereas prized recruit Luke Jackson (158) and Hayden Young (140) rounded out the highest 5.
Serong averaged 30.7 disposals per sport, nearly six greater than his profession median, and was rated elite in clearances (7.6), above common in tackles (5) and within the high 5 of the competitors for contested possessions.
Serong stated it burned watching finals when the Dockers have been alive in September on the similar stage final season however completed completed 14th this yr on 10 wins after coming into the season a top-four prospect.
“It’s tough to watch. I haven’t been able to watch a full game yet,” Serong stated.
“I get a little bit frustrated. I kind of want to turn it off.
“But it is a privilege to play in those games and be under that pressure, be playing in September.
“At the time last year you take it a little bit for granted as a young player.
“You get to that point and you think this is going to keep happening as a young group, but when you have a year like we’ve had this year and it hasn’t gone to plan, you do appreciate playing in those big games and getting exposed to that stuff. As a group we have no doubts that’s where we want to be.”
He described the Doig Medal as a “massive honour”.
“It’s right up there. Team stuff is No.1 for me and getting back to finals and winning a premiership,” he stated.
“There’s a big piece missing and that’s playing in a grand final and winning a grand final and that’s all I care about is getting the first for this football club.”
Serong, at 22, turns into the third-youngest participant to win the Doig Medal, behind Matthew Pavlich (20) in 2002 and Nat Fyfe (22) in 2013. Brayshaw additionally received the medal as a 22-year-old final season.
It was Brayshaw’s fourth consecutive top-three end, after an equal-third in 2020, third in 2021 and win in 2022.
Lachie Schultz and Sam Switkowski tied for sixth on 139 votes forward of captain Alex Pearce (134 votes), Brennan Cox (117 votes) and Michael Frederick (112 votes) to fill the highest 10.
Longmuir and assistants Matthew Boyd, Jaymie Graham and Joel Corey gave each participant a ranking out of 5 after every sport as much as a most of 20 votes per match.
Forward Jye Amiss, 20, received the Beacon Award as Fremantle’s most promising younger participant with 41 targets. He additionally completed fourth within the AFL’s Rising Star award.
Josh Corbett took out the most effective clubman award in his first yr at Fremantle.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
