FREMANTLE superstar Nat Fyfe has revealed he considered quitting the game after the Dockers' heartbreaking 2013 Grand Final loss to Hawthorn.
The Brownlow medallist lost his motivation for football while he was on a surfing trip in the weeks after the grinding 15-point defeat.
"If someone challenged me on the spot I would have been a bit coy about (retiring)," Fyfe told an AFL Players' Association podcast, Captain's Call.
"But in my head I was (thinking), 'This is enough for me. I don’t need to be driven and motivated and getting back to a Grand Final'."
Fyfe was among his side's best in the 2013 decider with 28 disposals and five clearances, but had a horror day in front of goal.
He sprayed two set shots out on the full in the opening term and kicked a behind in the second quarter as Freo went to the major break with 1.6 on the board.
Sitting through the Hawks' medal presentation post-match, Fyfe's mind wandered.
"What am I going to have to do to get back here?" he reflected.
"Will it be a decade? How many players am I going to play with before I step back out on the MCG on Grand Final day? Will it be in a purple jumper?
"You go from gut-wrenchingly devastated and not wanting to be part of a football team ever again and throwing it all away, to, OK, systematically, 'how can I learn from that, improve, increase my chances and go one step better?'.
"As soon as the season finished I went away and travelled. Once I got over there I was anonymous.
"I was in a van, surfing with a mate, and my mind was basically made up that I’d had enough.
"I’d played to a high level of footy, I’d been paid well, I’d enjoyed it, but I was pretty keen to get back to the simple life.
"I learnt a lot out of that experience of how motivated I was to all of a sudden moving in a different environment and being completely demotivated.
"After about 10 days … that desire, motivation and hunger was back and stronger than ever.
"I’ve used that as a lesson ever since — staying in and around the energy of the environment keeps you focused, and if you tread too far from that path you can get hazy on what your goals are and you’re not as capable of achieving what you want to achieve."
Fortunately for Dockers fans, Fyfe stuck with the club, going on to become Freo's first Brownlow medallist in 2015 and taking over as skipper last season.
Fyfe signed the longest contract in club history last July, committing his future to the rebuilding Dockers until the end of 2023.
"I think we've got a group who are really willing to learn and aren't interested in waiting around for their careers to follow a natural trajectory," Fyfe said at the time.
"Clearly, we want to deliver Fremantle their first premiership. It's a really lofty and ambitious goal.
"We’re all going to work as hard as we can towards that."
Returning from a one-week suspension – ruling him out of contention for a second Brownlow – Fyfe will play his 150th career match against Carlton at Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
