Strand title The Official Magazine of the Fremantle Football Club 2004 Purple Bigger, stronger, Haze Game faster Round 15 page 15 Wiz Kidz page 34 Athens bound page 5 JamesJames WalkerWalker Edition 1, 2004 PP606264/1022 $2.20 inc GST Fremantle Football Club March 2004 1 DirectoryStrand title I AM IN THE FORTUNATE POSITION FREMANTLE FOOTBALL CLUB LTD whereby I regularly have the opportunity The Official Magazine of the Fremantle Football Club of talking to corporate groups about the Fremantle Football Club as part of Parry Street, Fremantle WA 6160 building the club’s profile in this sector. P.O. Box 381, Fremantle WA 6959 This is both enjoyable and enlightening, T: (08) 9433 7000 F: (08) 9433 7001 – administration as it also provides the opportunity to T: (08) 9433 7111 – membership F: (08) 9433 7002 – marketing get feedback on the club from a broad [email protected] range of people who will freely give their www.fremantlefc.com.au opinions. Board of Directors What is clear is that there is an enormous Rick Hart (President), Len Hitchen (Vice President), Mel Ashton, amount of interest in football and the Fremantle Football Club. That would not Gary Berrell, Tony Buhagiar, Les Everett, David Garic, David Rawlinson, come as a surprise to anyone, but in the Greg Wall context of size of the business that we Management manage, it always amazes me that there Cameron Schwab Chief Executive Officer are so many high level people who are Gary Walton Chief Financial Officer seeking to learn from what we do. Keith Black Corporate Affairs and Communications Manager Under just about any measurement, an AFL club is a small to medium Steve Rosich Marketing Manager size business. That it attracts the amount of interest from the broadest Narelle Finch Sponsorship and Special Projects Manager range of people is just one of the aspects of this environment that Steven Icke Football Manager makes it different, and perhaps the reason why a person such as Chris Connolly attracts as much interest as he does each time he speaks at a Chris Connolly Senior Coach corporate function. The fact that he is highly entertaining and articulate adds to the mix, but there are many who seek to gain from the many Edition 1, 2004 lessons that a senior coach has learnt in the cut throat environment of AFL football. A Product of the Fremantle Football Club Communications Department. Email: [email protected] There has been a great deal of focus on Fremantle over the past year and in particular the turnaround that has occurred both as football team and as a business. Both are clearly linked and Chris Connolly has played Sponsors in 2004 a key role in both. What has often been underestimated in all of this is Major Sponsor that the product itself had, and continues to have, enormous potential and it is appropriate to give recognition to those who set the Club up in the first place. We take for granted many facets of this club which are now central to the strong position we are now establishing, but more importantly will form the core of the powerful club that we must become if we are going to be a consistent premiership contender. These include: Premier Sponsors 1. The fact we are Fremantle – based in Fremantle and an extension of the great Fremantle sporting tradition. At the same time we are not limited by our heritage. As I have often said the word Fremantle is a © 2004 Coca-Cola and Real Refreshment are registered trade noun, verb and adjective. marks of the Coca-Cola Company. 2. We are different, a little bit edgy. We wear purple, a colour we are making our own. The anchor is a great symbol, despite misgivings about it tethering us to the bottom. 3. Our football has also somehow been different, for lots of reasons. Corporate Sponsors There was Gerard Neesham’s style of play, our indigenous players, PB Foods (Peters & Brownes) • Rick Hart Group • Jadan Spas the space and run at Subiaco, and with a promise from the coach to Phillips Fox • Telstra • Burswood International Resort Casino play more attacking football this year, it would seem that this will Bunnings • Patersons Securities • Corporate Sports Australia continue. The Movie Masters • Golf Club Kennedy Bay • Mirvac Fini Media Sponsors Many of the reasons why Fremantle was criticised and mocked in its Channel Nine • The West Australian • Network TEN • FOXTEL early days are now the same reasons why we have a great opportunity WIN Television • 92.9 of building a great club. Even the club song is starting to sound good. There is great expectation at Fremantle, and that is very important as we build this club. Great clubs set high standards and have high Design & Production Printing expectations. We will not however get ahead of ourselves in this regard Scout Creative Lamb Print as we are realistic in terms of our maturity, and there are factors that 1 Wing Court 9 Robertson Street we cannot control. We aim to make the eight, win a final, but at the Maylands WA 6051 Perth WA 6000 same time build one of the great clubs. T: (08) 9371 8257 T: (08) 9328 1533 Fremantle will have its day, let there be no doubt. [email protected] Inserts And Flysheet Advertising Communications Department, Fremantle Football Club © Fremantle Football Club 2004. All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright above, no part of this publication shall be reproduced, stored in Cameron Schwab or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means Chief Executive Officer (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior permission of the Fremantle Football Club. COVER PHOTOGRAPH: James Walker at Fremantle Oval. All action photography by Getty Images, Official AFL Photographic Agency. 2 Fremantle Football Club March 2004 StrandUpdate title The Coach Wardrobe malfunction! answers Last season saw the club achieve many firsts will improve as both on and off the field, capped off with the they spend more finals appearance. How rewarding was last year? time working as a unit. Justin It was a very rewarding year in lots of ways Longmuir, Troy especially with a lot of momentum on and off Longmuir, Paul the field. The players improved as individuals Medhurst, Clive and we improved as a team. The players Waterhouse, responded to many challenges throughout Graham Polak, the season. Our improved performance and Troy Simmonds outstanding pre-season gives us a great deal and Jeff Farmer of confidence moving forward. are the leaders in this area of the ground. We What was the biggest surprise for you last year? will be looking for all forwards to carry out I was pleasantly surprised with the advanced what the coaching staff has asked of them. improvement of many of our players. They have Some forwards at times may have to sacrifice trained hard on their fitness and skills and their own game to fulfil the team’s plans deserve to have improved so quickly. I have and we look at their total contribution to the said before and I will have to say it again, that forward structure not just the number of goals the attitude of the players is fantastic and they they kick. are really eager to learn and improve. Your message last year was to be more Following the successes of last year, what attacking and by year’s end the team had would you see as the realistic expectations for delivered the most offensive year in the Club’s season 2004? history. What is your message for this year? It is simple. We are aiming to make the eight Keep attacking. Another key message will be and win our first finals game. Where we finish not to give up as many easy goals as we did in the eight will depend on the performances of last year where there were too many goals other teams. given up in the defensive 50. Hopefully the opposition will need to work a bit harder for What has been the focus over the pre-season their goals this season. compared to previous years and what are the On the team’s trip to London last year for areas you would see as major improvements Which players do you expect to see take the the exhibition game against Collingwood, needed? next step this year? players and staff attended a formal reception at the Australian Embassy in the We have focused more on the individual I expect every single player to take the next step. lead-up to the game. After the function, this pre-season with specifically tailored What do you want this year to deliver? curiosity got the better of Byron Schammer programmes. As a team, our ruck clearances We need to continue to establish ourselves as and Aaron Sandilands as they wanted to and ball movement have been the main areas a genuine force on and off the field. Football see how they went in each other’s club of focus. A key part of this focus on ball people are sceptical about Fremantle and its blazers. In the London weather Byron movement has been to establish a predictable ability to perform with the big boys. definitely got the better end of the deal! forward structure and the precision of our skill execution. Our skill execution let us down at key In the off-season, the coaching structure has times during last season and that must improve. been bolstered further with the addition of Steve Malaxos, what is focus for the coaching staff? A lot has been said of the abundance of For your diary forward talent at the club and how it can all We have the third youngest playing list in fit cohesively together.