FREMANTLE and David Mundy are close to finalising a deal that will see the gun midfielder play on for a 19th season.
Mundy, who turns 36 next week, has enjoyed arguably his best year, steering a young midfield and sitting ninth in the AFL Coaches Association Award.
His form and contribution as an on-field coach has made a compelling case for both parties, with talks on a deal for 2022 starting after the Dockers' round 14 bye.
BROWNLOW PREDICTOR Who's leading the race for Charlie?
They have progressed quickly, and it understood a fourth consecutive one-year contract for Mundy is close to being settled.
The Fremantle champion is set to play his 350th game against Sydney at GMHBA Stadium in round 19 and is also closing in on Matthew Pavlich's club record of 353 games.
He will pass that milestone in the final round of the home-and-away season if he plays all remaining matches.
Coach Justin Longmuir this week said it had crossed the club's mind to use Mundy as the medical substitute at points this season, but the midfielder had insisted he wants to play every week.
"He just does it week-in, week-out, and that shows the professional he is," Longmuir said.
"We've tried to manage him in games. He played 60 per cent game time on the weekend and we managed to get him through that game without burning him out.
LADDER PREDICTOR Where will your club finish?
"He starts off a lot of quarters (on the bench) which limits his game time, and he's coming to me and wanting to play every week, so we'll keep putting him in there."
Mundy's performance against Adelaide in round five was a turning point in the discussion around whether he should play on, with the popular veteran putting the team on his shoulders in a match-winning performance.
He has hardly slowed down, racking up 30 disposals and kicking two goals against Hawthorn on Saturday and averaging 25.8 possessions for the season, his best return outside his All-Australian 2015 campaign.
The classy midfielder leads the Dockers for inside 50s this season (4.7 a game) and ranks No.2 for contested possessions (11.4), clearances (5.9) and score involvements (7.3).
He is a leading contender to win Fremantle's best and fairest award for the second time after taking out the Doig Medal in 2010.
Mundy manager, Anthony McConville, told AFL.com.au in April that the selfless midfielder was being driven late in his career by the prospect of success with the rising Dockers.
"He would desperately want premiership success," McConville said.
"He is committed to not only playing his best to achieve that success but also committed to helping the youth of the club for their future success whether he would be playing or not."
