FREMANTLE midfielder Byron Schammer is the latest AFL player to have revealed he’s sought off-field help to improve his on-field performance in 2008.

But unlike other celebrated cases, Schammer, 23, hasn’t required assistance with drug, alcohol or anger management issues.

Rather, earlier this season he sought help with – as coach Mark Harvey describes it – “learning how to relax away from footy”.

With the AFL pressure cooker hard to escape – especially if things aren’t going right for a club – it’s easy for players to get down on themselves, and spend little time thinking about anything else. Too much worrying, and it becomes a self-defeating circle.

Recognising this, Schammer and his club acted to break the cycle.

“I went and sourced exterior help and tried to improve my football off the field,” Schammer said.

“(To) get my head right, is probably the best way to describe it. I think that’s the most important part of footy these days is to get your head right and mentally prepare yourself for AFL football.

“Not counselling. Just seeing someone and setting up goals about how to relax and also how to best manage your time and channel both football and outside football.”

Schammer has struck a rich vein of form, averaging almost 23 possessions and more than five tackles a game in his last six matches. Throw in seven clearances among his 27 touches in the win against the Power, and the aspiring midfielder celebrated his 100th match in style.

Recruited from West Adelaide with pick 13 in the National Draft at the end of 2002, Schammer has taken time to find his feet following a promising start to his career [including 12 Brownlow votes in his second season] with injury and illness not helping.

In particular Schammer missed the first half of 2007 with severe medical complications after suffering a burst appendix. The lightly-framed speedster spent several weeks in hospital and lost a large amount of weight during the ordeal.

It was his struggle to return which first forced Schammer to assess his situation.

“It probably (started) last year when I got sick. To come back and play seven games and not be as fit as what I’d like and not play as good a footy as I’d like, and then to come out this year and do the same I sort of had to assess where I was at, and really have a steely resolve to become a real quality midfielder.

“I’ve got 100 games of experience now, and I really wanted to use that to the best of my ability.”

Played mostly off half-back earlier in the season, Schammer has recently been given the opportunity he craved in the midfield. He excelled, along with his teammates Rhys Palmer and Ryan Crowley, against Port.

“Harvs has given me the opportunity the last couple of weeks to play in the midfield and I’ve really wanted to take that opportunity and not let go,” Schammer said.

“To come back (to South Australia) and play in front of your family and friends, I always enjoy it. We’ve had some good victories here in my six years, but I’d probably say that was one of the most enjoyable – to come out and show initiative to get to the front and then be challenged and rise to the occasion again.

“It just shows our young players are starting to evolve and gel as a whole team unit.”