Nat Fyfe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nat Fyfe
Fyfe playing for Fremantle in 2019
Personal information
Full name	Nathan Fyfe
Date of birth	(1991-09-18) 18 September 1991 (age 33)
Place of birth	Lake Grace, Western Australia
Original team	(WAFL)
Draft	No. 20, 2009 national draft
Debut	Round 5, 2010, Fremantle v. Richmond, at Subiaco Oval
Position(s)	Midfielder / forward
Club information
Current club	Fremantle
Number	7
Career highlights
Fremantle captain: 2017–2022 2× Brownlow Medal: 2015, 2019 2× Leigh Matthews Trophy: 2014, 2015 3× All-Australian team: 2014, 2015, 2019 (c) 3× Doig Medal: 2013, 2014, 2019 Jim Stynes Medal: 2017 AFLCA best young player of the year: 2011 AFL Rising Star nominee: 2010

Nathan Fyfe, born on September 18, 1991, is a professional Aussie Rules footballer. He plays for the Fremantle Dockers in the Australian Football League (AFL). Fyfe is a two-time winner of the Brownlow Medal, which is a very important award. He also won the Leigh Matthews Trophy twice. He was chosen for the All-Australian team three times, even as captain in 2019. Fyfe also won the Doig Medal three times. He was nominated for the AFL Rising Star award in 2010. Fyfe was the captain of Fremantle from 2017 to 2022.

Early Life and Junior Football

Nathan Fyfe grew up in Lake Grace, Western Australia. He went to school at Aquinas College in Perth as a boarder. In 2009, he played for Claremont in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) colts league.

He had some amazing games that year. In one game against East Fremantle, he scored eight goals and had 34 possessions. He also kicked six goals in the Colts Grand Final. In 2010, he played his first league game, scoring four goals against Peel Thunder.

Fyfe also played for the Western Australia team. This was in the 2009 AFL National Under 18 Championships. He played four out of five games and kicked nine goals. His best game was against Vic Metro, where he scored four goals.

AFL Career Highlights

Starting Out: 2010–2012

The Fremantle Dockers picked Fyfe with the 20th choice in the 2009 AFL draft. He played his first AFL game in 2010. This was in Fremantle's win against the Richmond Tigers at Subiaco Oval. He made a big entrance with an amazing high mark.

A week later, he was nominated for "Goal of the Week." This was for a brilliant snap kick against the West Coast Eagles. Fyfe was the 150th player to ever play for the Fremantle Dockers. He was named an AFL Rising Star nominee in Round 9 of the 2010 AFL season. This was after Fremantle's first win against the Sydney Swans in Sydney since 1996. He had 23 possessions, four clearances, five tackles, and seven marks in that game.

Fyfe got even better in his second AFL season. He finished a close second to Matthew Pavlich for the Doig Medal. This award is for Fremantle's best player. He was among the top five in almost all key stats for Fremantle in 2011. Fyfe led the club in disposals per game (25.1) and total disposals (527). He also led in contested possessions (262) and contested marks (43). His great form made people think he might be chosen for the All-Australian team. Some even compared him to the famous player James Hird. Fyfe received 13 Brownlow Medal votes, which was the most for his team. He signed a new three-year deal with Fremantle at the end of 2011.

Fyfe started the 2012 AFL season very strongly. He was the best player on the field against Geelong in Round 1. He had 30 disposals and kicked 2 goals in their win. Fyfe started having shoulder problems in April. He tried to keep playing but needed surgery in May after dislocating it. He missed most of the season, from Round 6 until Round 18. He returned in Round 18 against Port Adelaide. He quickly got back to his best, with 26 disposals. Even though he played only nine games, Fyfe still got the second-most Brownlow Medal votes (14) for Fremantle.

Grand Final and First Brownlow: 2013–2015

Fyfe kept improving during the 2013 AFL season. He increased his average disposals to 25.9 per game. He also won his first Doig Medal, beating David Mundy. Fyfe helped Fremantle have a great season, finishing third on the ladder. They reached their first ever AFL Grand Final in club history. Fyfe had 28 disposals in the Grand Final. However, the Dockers lost to Hawthorn by 15 points. This ended their best season without a premiership. Fyfe played very well in the finals, averaging 26.0 disposals. In 2014, Fyfe signed a new three-year contract with Fremantle.

Fyfe playing in 2014

Fyfe started the 2014 AFL season strongly. But he was suspended for two weeks in Round 2. This was for a bump on Gold Coast player Michael Rischitelli. This was under a new rule about head contact. Fyfe was considered a favourite to win the Brownlow Medal that year. However, he could not win it because of his suspension. Fyfe played his 100th game for Fremantle in Round 8 against North Melbourne. He had 37 disposals and 11 clearances in their big win. Fyfe continued his strong form, averaging 27.0 disposals per game. He also kicked a career-high 24 goals. He was now seen as one of the best midfielders in the league. He was suspended again late in the season for hitting Jordan Lewis. He missed the last two games before returning for the finals. Fyfe played well in the finals. But Fremantle was knocked out after losing both games.

Fyfe received several awards for his amazing season. He won the Leigh Matthews Trophy in 2014. This award is for the league's most valuable player (MVP). He received 945 votes, ahead of Gary Ablett. Fyfe then won his second Doig Medal. He was also chosen for his first All-Australian team as a midfielder. Even though he couldn't win the Brownlow Medal, Fyfe finished with 25 votes. This was just one vote behind the winner, Matt Priddis.

Fyfe continued his great form into the 2015 AFL season. He had 31 disposals and 1 goal in Fremantle's Round 1 win against Port Adelaide. He kept up this form all season. He increased his average disposals to 28.8 per game. Fyfe's amazing play helped Fremantle finish 1st on the ladder for the first time. They won the McClelland Trophy. Fyfe started the finals well. He had 32 disposals and 8 clearances in Fremantle's win over Sydney. Fyfe played in Fremantle's preliminary final loss against Hawthorn with a fractured leg. He still had 24 disposals in the loss. Fyfe played only 18 regular season games. But he still won the Brownlow Medal, getting 31 votes. He became the first Fremantle player to win the Brownlow Medal. He won his second Leigh Matthews Trophy in 2015. He was also named WA Media Awards AFL Player of the Year. He also won the Western Australian Sports Star of the Year. He was chosen for his second All-Australian Team as a midfielder.

Injuries and Captaincy: 2016–2018

Fyfe playing in 2016

Fyfe started the 2016 AFL season with a quiet game. But he quickly improved. He had 87 disposals, 8 goals, and 21 tackles in the next three games. In Round 4, he kicked four goals against North Melbourne. Sadly, Fyfe broke the same leg again in Round 5. He had surgery and was ruled out for the rest of the season. Without Fyfe, Fremantle dropped from 1st place in 2015 to 16th in 2016.

In February 2017, Fyfe was announced as Fremantle's captain. He returned from his injury during the 2017 JLT Community Series. He had 22 disposals against the West Coast Eagles. Fyfe's stats were a bit lower in 2017. He averaged 26.4 disposals, down from 28.8 in 2015. But he still had a strong season. He kicked 17 goals and had a career-high 96 tackles. Fyfe played for Australia in the 2017 International Rules Series. He won the Jim Stynes Medal as the best player in the series. He did not make the All-Australian Team in 2017. He finished 11th in the 2017 Brownlow Medal with 15 votes. In July 2017, Fyfe signed a six-year contract extension with Fremantle. This was the longest contract in the club's history.

Fyfe was in amazing form at the start of the 2018 AFL season. He helped the club win many early games. He had a career-best 43 disposals against the Western Bulldogs. He also had 14 clearances against Gold Coast. In his 150th game for Fremantle, Fyfe had 30 disposals and 2 goals. He also had 7 inside-fifties. He was nominated for "Goal of the Year" for a clever snap against Carlton. Fyfe hurt his hamstring in Round 15 against the Brisbane Lions. He missed six weeks because of this injury. Fyfe returned in Round 22 against Geelong. He had 37 disposals and 7 clearances. But Geelong won by a huge margin. Fyfe did not make the All-Australian Team again.

Second Brownlow and Recent Years: 2019–Present

Fyfe started the 2019 AFL season very strongly. He had 32 disposals and 10 clearances in Round 1 against North Melbourne. He continued this great form all season. Many people thought he would win the Brownlow Medal. Fyfe finished the season with a career-high 583 disposals. His average disposals increased to 29.2 per game. Fyfe made the 2019 All-Australian Team. This was his first time since 2015. He was also named Captain of the team. Fyfe won his second Brownlow Medal. He became the 15th player in VFL/AFL history to win it twice. He received a career-high 33 votes. He beat the runner-up, Patrick Dangerfield, by 6 votes.

The 2020 season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Fyfe had a good start but hurt his hamstring in Round 4. He missed only one game. He returned in Fremantle's comeback win against St Kilda. He was one of the best players with two goals. However, he strained the same hamstring a few days later. He missed several more games. He returned in Fremantle's upset win over Collingwood in Round 9.

Fyfe played almost half of the 2021 AFL season. He then missed three games after hurting his shoulder in Round 12. Round 17 was Fyfe's 200th game. He was arguably the best player on the field. He had 31 disposals and kicked a goal in Fremantle's big win over Hawthorn. Fyfe's season ended early when he reinjured his shoulder in Round 19 against Sydney.

Fyfe missed the first half of the 2022 AFL season. This was due to a shoulder operation. He returned to football by playing for Peel Thunder in the WAFL. This was his first WAFL game since 2010. He made his AFL return in Round 13 against Hawthorn. Fyfe was among Fremantle's best players in Round 17. He kicked 3 goals and had 21 disposals in their win over St Kilda. Fyfe hurt his hamstring again in Round 19. He missed the next three games. He returned in Round 23 against Greater Western Sydney. Fyfe was expected to play in Fremantle's finals games. But another hamstring injury ruled him out for the rest of the season. On February 7, 2023, Fyfe stepped down as captain after six seasons. On June 1, 2023, it was announced that Fyfe signed a two-year deal. This keeps him at the Dockers until the end of 2025.

Fyfe trained as a forward during the 2023 pre-season. He was expected to play both as a midfielder and forward. He played his first game as a forward in Round 1 of the 2023 AFL season. He had nine disposals and kicked a point. Fyfe missed Round 2 due to a foot injury. He returned in Round 8 in Fremantle's big win over Hawthorn. He came on as a substitute and kicked a goal. He played six games in a row. But he injured his foot again in Round 16, ending his season.

Nathan had a strong pre-season before the 2024 AFL season. This included a trip to India. He returned from injury against the Brisbane Lions in Fremantle's first game. Fyfe played well, getting 21 disposals in the win. He continued his strong form in the early rounds. He became a key player in Fremantle's midfield and forward line. In Round 7, he had an amazing game against the Western Bulldogs. He had 37 disposals, 10 score involvements, and seven clearances. This game reminded people of his Brownlow Medal-winning years. He played 22 games in 2024. He missed only one game due to a suspension. This was for striking during the Round 20 Western Derby. Fyfe's 2024 season showed he was back to being consistent and a leader. He helped mentor younger players and guided Fremantle to a competitive season.

Statistics

Updated to the end of round 16, 2025.

Notes

Awards and Achievements

Team Awards

• McClelland Trophy/AFL minor premiership (Fremantle): 2015

Individual Awards

• Fremantle captain: 2017–2022
• 2× Brownlow Medal: 2015, 2019
• 2× Leigh Matthews Trophy: 2014, 2015
• 3× All-Australian team: 2014, 2015, 2019 (c)
• 3× Doig Medal: 2013, 2014, 2019
• Jim Stynes Medal: 2017
• Australia representative honours in international rules football: 2017
• All Stars representative honours in State of Origin for Bushfire Relief Match
• AFLCA best young player of the year: 2011
• AFL Rising Star nominee: 2010