JUST as he did so often in the midfield as a dual Brownlow medallist, Fremantle superstar Nat Fyfe read the play with precision in his final act as captain on Tuesday.

Stepping aside from all leadership roles in 2023 meant giving up on a dream to be the Dockers' first premiership captain, but it also meant taking a step towards being an inaugural premiership player. 

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The time was right for Fyfe as he prepares to play as a permanent forward this season and looks to bounce back from the shoulder, back and finger operations, and multiple hamstring injuries that ruined his 2022 campaign. 

And the time was right for the Dockers, who saw Alex Pearce flourish as a leader and stand-in captain last season, but also have excellent candidates in Andrew Brayshaw and Caleb Serong.

It's an enviable position that Fyfe recognised when discussing the captaincy with chief executive Simon Garlick, football manager Peter Bell and coach Justin Longmuir. 

"I always felt throughout my captaincy one of the key responsibilities I have is to make sure when I hand it over that the club was in a better position," Fyfe said on Tuesday.  

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"We worked through a process to get to a point where we were all really comfortable and excited about what this could do for our group and what it could also do for my footy.

"Intuitively, it just feels like a step closer to being a premiership player, as opposed to the opposite."

Fyfe has been the second longest serving captain in Fremantle's history, winning his second Brownlow Medal and earning selection as the All-Australian captain (2019) while in the position. 

It is a tenure that coincided with a long rebuild, however, with last year's finals campaign the club's first during Fyfe's time as captain. 

Sidelined because of a hamstring injury, Fyfe watched on as Pearce led the Dockers in the come-from-behind elimination final win against the Western Bulldogs, and then again in the semi-final loss to Collingwood.

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He has decided that handing over the captaincy will give him a better chance of making an impact on that stage himself in 2023 as a forward. 

"This gives me the best opportunity to go forward … and focus on my own game to become an asset to the club that maybe I wasn't able to do when I was playing as a midfielder and trying to captain," Fyfe said.

"I think the opportunity for me to completely step away and reinvent my game is exciting and that's probably what the main sell was in the end. I can add more value to the group in different ways."

Fyfe has trained almost exclusively as a deep forward this pre-season and has appeared more comfortable in the role as each week has passed since returning from the Christmas break.

His running patterns and marking stood out in match scenario drills on Tuesday, taking several grabs above his head on the lead and flying for a big pack mark that he spilt on the way down.

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The Dockers will now hold their player leadership vote in the next couple of weeks with three strong options in front of them. 

Pearce, who overcame his own injury issues to enjoy a strong 2022 season, has proved a popular captain capable of inspiring his teammates, and there is good evidence that he would be an excellent successor to Fyfe. 

Having led the Dockers so often last season, Pearce would also provide a seamless transition while Brayshaw and Serong build their leadership further underneath. 

The Dockers are young, however, and Brayshaw or Serong could prove inspired choices as young leaders if given the chance now, aged 23 and 21 respectively. 

They have each been mentored by Fyfe and retired champion David Mundy and are both showing they can lift their teammates to greater heights on the field and stand up in big moments. 

The duo are also standard bearers with their preparation and are dragging teammates along with them when it comes to physical preparation this summer. 

Having each committed to Fremantle for the long-term, their time in senior leadership positions will come. 

If it is Pearce who takes over as captain for 2023, anointing Brayshaw and Serong as dual vice-captains would make sense ahead of a season full of promise for the club.