It appears there will be a seamless transition at Bomberland, with Fletcher to hand over his longtime role as backline general to emerging star Jake Carlisle.
It's some succession plan, and we gained a fascinating glimpse of it - and life without Fletcher - during Essendon's remarkable, emotion-charged win over Fremantle at Patersons Stadium on Friday night.
When Fletcher was subbed out of the match with a groin problem midway through the third quarter, more responsibility was suddenly thrust Carlisle's way.
And it wasn't as though the 21-year-old didn’t already have enough weight on his broadening shoulders, as he had the job on Freo skipper Matthew Pavlich, a six-time All Australian and six-time club champion.
Interviewed by Channel seven post-match, Carlisle admitted he was concerned at the sight of the evergreen Fletcher wearing the red sub's vest.
"I saw it on the screen and I nearly started crying, to be honest," he said. "I'm like, 'Far out.' We were struggling for defenders."
However, Carlisle didn’t let his internal doubts bubble to the surface. He accepted the challenge manfully, while maintaining a steely focus and a stranglehold on Pavlich.
That he received the maximum 10 votes from James Hird and Ross Lyon in the AFL Coaches Association's Champion Player Of The Year award, and in such a high-pressure, hostile environment, spoke volumes of his temperament and development.
Carlisle kept Pavlich scoreless (it was just the sixth time in the superstar's past 154 games that he hadn’t troubled the scorers) and restricted him to just 10 disposals and two marks.
In a performance that belied his youth and 31-game experience, Carlisle also generated plenty of run from the back half, gathering 18 disposals (11 contested), six marks (three contested) and seven defensive rebounds.
A terrific athlete who is deceptively quick and mobile for his 200cms and 98kgs, he also won a crucial contest that led to teammate Patrick Ryder snapping the winning goal.
Inside the last two minutes, Carlisle was opposed to three Dockers at half-back. His first attempt to clear the ball was smothered but he succeeded the next time, blind-turning and directing a deft bounce-pass to Courtenay Dempsey, which started a critical forward surge.
It was inspiring, 'Fletcher-like' stuff, and it was completed, as usual, with a minimum of fuss.
Post-match, Carlisle added that he was "loving the challenge" of being assigned the job of stopping the opposition's best forward.
"I'm just taking it with both hands," he said.
As did Port Adelaide's prized draftee Oliver Wines and Brisbane Lions first-gamer Sam Mayes in hard-fought wins.
Wines received six votes (third-best afield) from the coaches after collecting 25 touches and kicking two second-half goals in the Power's come-from-behind Showdown win over Adelaide, while debutant Mayes earned one vote after having a 21-disposal game against Gold Coast.
Round three also announced the re-emergence of a veteran, Hawthorn skipper Luke Hodge, who achieved a perfect 10 after destroying Collingwood with 31 touches (17 contested) and two long, one-step goals.
In further ominous signs for the Pies, who face a hot Richmond at the MCG on Saturday, the Tigers' most damaging three midfielders – Dustin Martin, Brett Deledio and skipper Trent Cotchin – were, in that order, rated the best players afield in their big win over the Western Bulldogs.
No Melbourne player has yet received a vote following three heavy losses.
Fremantle v Essendon?
10 Jake Carlisle (Ess)
7 Nathan Fyfe (Frem)
5 Brendon Goddard (Ess)?
4 Heath Hocking (Ess)?
2 Michael Hurley (Ess)
1 Hayden Ballantyne (Frem)
1 Michael Walters (Frem)
North Melbourne v Sydney
10 Jarrad McVeigh (Syd)
6 Jude Bolton (Syd)
4 Dan Hannebery (Syd)
4 Ben McGlynn (Syd)
2 Josh Kennedy (Syd)?
2 Ted Richards (Syd)
2 Scott Thompson (North)
Melbourne v West Coast
9 Dean Cox (WCE)?
6 Jack Darling (WCE)?
5 Josh Kennedy (WCE)
5 Chris Masten (WCE)
4 Matt Priddis (WCE)
1 Scott Selwood (WCE)
?GWS Giants v St Kilda
10 David Armitage (St K)
4 Ben McEvoy (St K)
4 Steven (St K)
3 Leigh Montagna (St K)
3 Rhys Stanley (St K)?
2 Terry Milera (St K)
2 Dylan Roberton (St K)
2 Callan Ward (GWS)??
Geelong v Carlton
6 Mathew Stokes (Geel)
5 Taylor Hunt (Geel)
5 Harry Taylor (Geel)
5 Andrew Walker (Carl)
4 Steven Motlop (Geel)
3 Andrew Carrazzo (Carl)
2 Chris Judd (Carl)
??Gold Coast Suns v Brisbane Lions?
9 Jonathan Brown (Bris)
9 Pearce Hanley (Bris)
5 Jared Brennan (GC)?
3 Harley Bennell (GC)?
2 Greg Broughton (GC)
1 Sam Mayes (Bris)
1 Jack Redden (Bris)
??Richmond v Western Bulldogs
10 Dustin Martin (Rich)
8 Brett Deledio (Rich)
6 Trent Cotchin (Rich)
2 Shaun Grigg (Rich)
2 Bachar Houli (Rich)
1 Ivan Maric (Rich)
1 Jack Riewoldt (Rich)
??Collingwood v Hawthorn
10 Luke Hodge (Haw)?
5 Ben Stratton (Haw)?
4 Grant Birchall (Haw)
4 Travis Cloke (Coll)
4 Josh Gibson (Haw)?
2 Lance Franklin (Haw)
1 Liam Shiels (Haw)?
?Port Adelaide v Adelaide?
10 Travis Boak (Port)
8 Justin Westhoff (Port)
6 Oliver Wines (Port)
2 Hamish Hartlett (Port)
2 Rory Sloane (Adel)
1 Tom Jonas (Port)
1 Chad Wingard (Port)
LEADERBOARD?
20 Jarrad McVeigh (Syd)
19 Trent Cotchin (Rich)
18 Travis Boak (Port)
18 Kieren Jack (Syd)?
18 Justin Westhoff (Port)
17 Nathan Fyfe (Frem)?
17 Pearce Hanley (BL)
17 Jobe Watson (Ess)
16 Grant Birchall (Haw)
15 David Armitage (St K)
