THERE is an over-riding philosophy at Fremantle under Ross Lyon that the past is irrelevant. "It's only about the future" for the club, which is fitting as it enters a period of high expectation.
Fremantle is chasing back-to back finals appearances for the first time in its history, and hopes of a maiden premiership are high after a barnstorming finish to 2012.
Lyon, who coached St Kilda to three Grand Finals (including the 2010 replay), is key to the optimism, and his stamp on the team is becoming more evident after 18 months in the top job.
Entering his second season in WA, the 46-year-old's media appearances have also become more guarded, mirroring his approach at St Kilda from his second season (2008) on.
Press conference responses like "I don't have my crystal ball on me" and "I'll leave it up to you to write the stories" are becoming more common as the stakes rise at Fremantle.
Former St Kilda head of conditioning David Misson gave a rare insight into the inner sanctum of Lyon's teams in his 2010 book 'The Bubble: Inside the Saints in 2010'.
The 'bubble', as described by Misson - who is now elite performance manager at Melbourne - was "the inner sanctum of players and football department staff" at St Kilda.
It was a tool that kept Saints players and football staff focused as potential distractions mounted around them.
A replica of the 'bubble' hasn't been christened at Fremantle, but there is a clear culture developing where details from the inner sanctum – however trivial – are protected.
It's a trend that was underlined in an interview with AFL.com.au.
"Our culture wants to be about hard work, improvement, boldness and influencing people the right way," Lyon says of the Fremantle trademarks.
"We have a framework of what we believe in, behaviours that we value. It's not a top down culture, it's certainly a culture that flows both ways and everyone is accountable to everybody else.
"It's not about catching people doing the wrong thing, it's about reinforcing and that's the way we like things done."
Lyon believes in "influence by action" and the culture he has set since arriving in September 2011 has had a dramatic effect on at least five careers.
Clancee Pearce, Michael Johnson, Chris Mayne, Michael Walters and club champion Ryan Crowley all played career-best football last year after entering 2012 with shaky prospects.
"What we're proud of is an environment where they can grow," Lyon says.
"Clearly there's an environment here that allows people to pursue excellence and that's what we're about.
"All they did was take that opportunity and improve."
Lyon does not like individualising, even with captain Matthew Pavlich, who has played a club record 279 games.
Striking while the champion forward remains a part of the team shapes as a key storyline for Fremantle in the next two seasons.
It is something supporters discuss, but Lyon is dismissive.
"I don't know where you get all that information from to be frank; I'm not sure where that survey's been conducted," he says.
"I just don't buy into it. I think Matthew's important, but no more important than any other player on our list, and it (a premiership) would mean the same to everybody else."
As well as 31-year-old Pavlich, veteran ruckman Aaron Sandilands, 30, and All Australian defender Luke McPharlin, 31, are contracted until the end of 2014.
The shape of Fremantle's list is not a topic Lyon is easily drawn on, nor is he interested in giving an opinion on this year's contenders.
Fremantle sits in that group this season and starts its campaign against another contender in West Coast.
The blockbuster Derby will be a high-pressure start to a season that promises plenty, and it shapes as an environment in which Lyon should thrive.
"One of his great strengths – as borne out in psychological profiling conducted by the club during his interview process back in 2006 – was his capacity to thrive when the pressure was on," Misson wrote in The Bubble.
"He would never back down from a confrontation and this attitude and in-built competitiveness went a long way to defining what gave Ross Lyon's Saints their hard edge".
It could be that hard edge instilled by Lyon that sets Fremantle up for a maiden premiership tilt in its 19th season.
Nathan Schmook is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Nathan
"What we're proud of is an environment where they can grow," Lyon says.
"Clearly there's an environment here that allows people to pursue excellence and that's what we're about.
"All they did was take that opportunity and improve."
Lyon does not like individualising, even with captain Matthew Pavlich, who has played a club record 279 games.
Striking while the champion forward remains a part of the team shapes as a key storyline for Fremantle in the next two seasons.
It is something supporters discuss, but Lyon is dismissive.
"I don't know where you get all that information from to be frank; I'm not sure where that survey's been conducted," he says.
"I just don't buy into it. I think Matthew's important, but no more important than any other player on our list, and it (a premiership) would mean the same to everybody else."
As well as 31-year-old Pavlich, veteran ruckman Aaron Sandilands, 30, and All Australian defender Luke McPharlin, 31, are contracted until the end of 2014.
The shape of Fremantle's list is not a topic Lyon is easily drawn on, nor is he interested in giving an opinion on this year's contenders.
Fremantle sits in that group this season and starts its campaign against another contender in West Coast.
The blockbuster Derby will be a high-pressure start to a season that promises plenty, and it shapes as an environment in which Lyon should thrive.
"One of his great strengths – as borne out in psychological profiling conducted by the club during his interview process back in 2006 – was his capacity to thrive when the pressure was on," Misson wrote in The Bubble.
"He would never back down from a confrontation and this attitude and in-built competitiveness went a long way to defining what gave Ross Lyon's Saints their hard edge".
It could be that hard edge instilled by Lyon that sets Fremantle up for a maiden premiership tilt in its 19th season.
Nathan Schmook is a reporter for AFL Media. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Nathan
