Matthew Pavlich during this year's AFL Grand Final. Picture by Michael Klein Source: Michael Klein / News Limited
MATTHEW Pavlich is uncertain whether next season will be the last of his glittering career at Fremantle.
But the Dockers captains know one thing: Fremantle will turn on more of its bold third and fourth-quarter Grand Final form than its mistake-riddled jitters of the first half.
The Dockers' greatest player is only nine games shy of becoming the first West Australian-based AFL player to reach 300 games, but he will not contemplate whether to retire or play on after 2014.
Before a two-week break from training and his 32nd birthday on New Year's Eve, Pavlich said he expected Fremantle to retain its blue-chip midfield by securing new contracts next year for Nat Fyfe and David Mundy.
He also opened up on his performance in the first half of the Grand Final loss to Hawthorn; what took place at half-time; the prospect of missing some games next year to manage his body; and the recruitment of Melbourne firebrand Colin Sylvia to Fremantle.
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Pavlich tipped Fyfe, Mundy, Michael Barlow and Ryan Crowley would remain in the Dockers' midfield machine.
"The whole market value debate is pointless, really," he said. "In the end, if we want to play in premierships you want to keep the group together.
"There is a commercial reality and I'm very confident that the club will sort it out."
Pavlich is out of contract at the end of next season along with Aaron Sandilands, 31, and Luke McPharlin, 32.
Expectations are that at least one of them will retire after next year.
Pavlich has resisted lures to return to his home state, South Australia, on his way to six club best-and-fairests and six All-Australian honours after he was drafted 14 years ago.
He said he was confident the brilliant Mundy would stay, but understands the attraction of potentially playing back in his home state, Victoria.
"You put them in probably three separate brackets," Pavlich said.
"There are the older players in Luke, myself and Aaron, and that will take care of itself.
"The Mundy one - there is always a link back to Victoria and I know full well what that is like. He's very settled here in WA and he's got a lovely young family and he loves Fremantle.
"We're really confident that he will be rewarded and that he will stay at the football club.
"Obviously, Nat Fyfe is an up and coming player and a guy that we value really highly at the footy club and he's a big part of our future."
Matthew Pavlich at training this summer. Source: Getty Images
Pavlich will consider his own future late next season.
"It's not something that I am thinking of right now," he said.
"We're back into pre-season and it is really a day-in and day-out process and I am just excited about being involved with our entire group again.
"There's no timeframe at all with the club or anyone."
Pavlich revealed that his successor as captain was already in the making with a leadership development program in motion.
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"There are a number of guys that show capability and desire for that position," he said.
"But right now it's time to get into hard work and we'll work that out when it's necessary.
"We've had a good look at our leadership and the demographic that is within that.
"There are a number of guys who have been in that process for quite some time, both a bit more mature and some of the younger guys.
"We have an emerging leaders group that we focus on and put a lot of energy into those guys.
"The club will be in a very strong position leadership-wise, but also talent-wise moving forward."
Pavlich believes the Dockers will benefit from their first Grand Final appearance and has already sensed a fierce determination among his teammates during summer training.
He had a first-half nightmare against a Hawks' strategy to double-team and at times even triple-team him with eventual Norm Smith medallist Brian Lake, Josh Gibson and rival skipper Luke Hodge all lurking around the Dockers' primary scoring source.
Pavlich did not have a possession in a disastrous first term and only four disposals by half time, when the Dockers trailed by four goals.
He said his recollection of the break was "hazy" as coach Ross Lyon and senior players desperately went about resurrecting their premiership hopes.
A third-term recovery inspired by Pavlich, Mundy and Fyfe at least got the Dockers back into the game as they kicked four of the first five goals on the resumption with the big forward booting two critical majors and passing another off to small forward Michael Walters.
"We need to take some lessons out of it," Pavlich said. "We all react to loss and adversity in our lives differently.
"There's the psychological aspect to it and we dealt with that straight after the game and in the week after with Ross and the playing group.
"We talked about how we're all going to in some way, shape or form handle it differently and the frustration and the anger.
"Some guys will be mulling over it forever and others will be able to put it into perspective and move on.
"It's funny the game of football, or elite sport, that we can have a really successful year and have some watershed moments and yet we still don't get what we want and it's seen as a failure.
"As much as we fail in life we need to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and rip into hard work again. That's what has worked for us in the past.
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"It's one of those games that you look back on in your own mind and would like to have times over again. Like other players in the team, you would like to go back there and make amends for particular moments in the game.
"But clearly being on the biggest stage and having the biggest reward you would have rather handled things in a different mode.
"Having a young daughter and a young family puts things into perspective quite well.
"It is my career ambition to win that last game in September and to do that along with the rest of our playing group and it is a very big deal for us because it is our career, it's our profession.
"But, I think in time you can put things into perspective and you are able to move on because of the other great things in your life."
Pavlich says that another genuine flag assault next year needs more of what the Dockers served up in the second half of the Grand Final.
He expects the rugged and versatile former Demon Sylvia to be a vital acquisition to Fremantle's on-ball battery and another scoring avenue.
Pavlich congratulates Luke Hodge after the Grand Final. Source: News Limited
The prospects of Pavlich missing some games next season is likely to be a barometer of Fremantle's success ratio.
The big forward said he would consider resting only if the Dockers were winning and within striking range of the finals.
"It hasn't been discussed with Ross or the strength and conditioning guys, but clearly I am, like a couple of our players, getting on in years and you do look at some of the other teams that have been able to manage some of their older players in that vein," Pavlich said.
"Maybe that is the path forward if we're in a position to be able to do that.
"It requires the team to be playing really well and winning lots of games of footy and right now, that is so far away that it is quite challenging to even see that.
"I love playing every game that I can and I love playing the game and the competitive element of it.
"It's hard to knock a game back, but we will wait and see on that one."
