By Justin Chadwick
Fremantle midfielder Caleb Serong says he’s heartbroken for Nat Fyfe following the captain’s nightmare hamstring setback, but he’s backing the group to cover the loss.
Fyfe has been ruled out of Saturday night’s AFL elimination final against the Western Bulldogs after injuring his right hamstring at training on the weekend.
Nat Fyfe has had a horror injury run.Credit:Getty Images
The two-time Brownlow medallist had only just returned from a three-week lay-off due to a left hamstring strain, and his finals hopes now rest on Fremantle making it deep into September.
Fyfe hasn’t played finals since Fremantle’s preliminary final appearance in 2015.
It means the soon-to-be 31-year-old has spent some of the best years of his career out of the finals picture, and time is running out for him to win a flag.
“For us, we just feel for Nat more than anything,” Serong told SportFM.
“It’s just really heartbreaking to be honest because he’s put so much work in behind the scenes over the last five, six years to get this club back to finals.
“And to not be there at the weekend – having it stripped away from him at the last minute – is pretty flattening.
“We’ll put our arms around him.”
Without Fyfe up forward, there will be further pressure placed on returning duo Rory Lobb (shoulder) and Griffin Logue (adductor) to shine in the key attacking posts.
“As a team, we feel like it’s the next man up mentality, and we’ve done that all year,” Serong said.
“We’ve played without (Fyfe) and obviously you can’t replace a Nat Fyfe, but we’ll do what we can to make the most of the guys that come in.”
Caleb Serong says the team has a ‘man up mentality’.Credit:AFL Photos
Although shoulder, back, and hamstring issues meant Fyfe has been a shadow of his former self this year, his experience was set to prove crucial on the finals stage.
With Fyfe now ruled out this weekend and Matt Taberner (calf) unlikely to play, it means almost the entire Dockers team set to face the Bulldogs will be making their finals debut.
Of the players expected to be selected, only David Mundy, James Aish, Michael Walters and Rory Lobb have finals experience.
But Serong is confident there’s enough big-game experience among the team and the club’s coaching staff to get them through.
“It’s not like no one in the building has played in a grand final or finals before,” Serong said.
“We’ve got guys to lean on. We’ve been really tapping into those resources to understand what it’s all about.
“(It’s been good) hearing from guys like Dave (Mundy) and Nat (Fyfe) and (assistants) Joel Corey and Matthew Boyd – these guys who have played in big finals, grand finals, won premierships.”
AAP
