Fremantle Dockers must decide whether Nat Fyfe or Alex Pearce is best placed to lead the club in 2023 and possibly beyond

At West Coast, the captaincy debate is settled. Luke Shuey will lead the Eagles for a fourth consecutive season after momentum gradually swung back in favour of stable leadership. He was publicly endorsed by new chairman Paul Fitzpatrick, coach Adam Simpson, football manager Gavin Bell and chief executive Trevor Nisbett before views were sought from his teammates.

Meanwhile, at Fremantle, Nat Fyfe’s future as skipper is far from certain.

After six seasons as captain, the winds of change have slowly gained velocity. Coach Justin Longmuir says a decision hinges on what is best for Fyfe going forward. Chief executive Simon Garlick has indicated Fyfe will have a significant say in whether he remains captain. And football manager Peter Bell declared Fyfe still had plenty of good footy left in him.

None of them said change was on the horizon.

But they didn’t say it wasn’t either.

The captaincy conversation has developed momentum after a season in which complications from shoulder surgery, back surgery, finger surgery and two hamstring injuries restricted Fyfe to just seven games last year.

The 31-year-old retained the title but Alex Pearce was the go-to guy 17 times on game day as Fyfe watched on from the stands. As job interviews go, Pearce can consider himself through to the next round. The Dockers won nine of their first 12 games under the wily defender’s leadership before Fremantle’s incumbent captain returned.

Pearce assumed the position again when Fyfe was ruled out of Fremantle’s first finals series since 2015, leading his charges to a memorable come-from-behind win over the Western Bulldogs.

If Fyfe does relinquish his role, Pearce is the natural successor – not only as captain but also the mantle of Fremantle’s most important player.

There’s an argument to be made that the long-locked Tasmanian already is.

Following the departure of Griffin Logue in last year’s trade period, the Dockers are light when it comes to key defenders. Brennan Cox could’ve been an All-Australian last year, Luke Ryan already is and can play tall if required but the pool runs shallow after that.

Joel Hamling hasn’t played great AFL football in years, Heath Chapman is more of a rebounding type and Hugh Davies is talented but a long-term prospect.

Fremantle’s worst case scenario would be for Pearce, its post-up defender, to go down with another long-term injury, a fate he has suffered in the past.

But that shouldn’t impact the Dockers’ decision.

You appoint the best leader because they’re the best leader.

The same could be said for Fyfe.

A dominant force on field, Fyfe is undoubtedly a future Hall of Famer. You don’t become the only two-time Brownlow medallist in the competition by accident and for that reason Fyfe spent the first part of his AFL career as an insular and internally focused player.

But according to Dockers games-record holder and his predecessor David Mundy, Fyfe has evolved. Now, he has invited his teammates into his inner sanctum. He is the first to suggest and encourage extra recovery and external enhancement.

He is also fiercely protective of his players.

The Fyfe we once knew will never be again but, with time, he could evolve into a weapon up forward. It’s why some are calling for Fyfe to focus on recapturing his best form instead of helping others do the same as captain.

That’s not to say Fyfe wouldn’t remain a leader. Official title or not, he is as ingrained as ever in the playing group. But he also left a chasm when sidelined which gave Pearce the opportunity to stand up.

As for Andrew Brayshaw and Caleb Serong, two emerging stars whose influence continues to grow, their time will come. The pair are still comparatively new to the AFL system but they represent a new breed of Docker.

Brayshaw says and does everything you’d expect an elite AFL footballer to. So does Serong, albeit he has the harder edge. The pair will carry the club forward for the next 15 years and drag their teammates along for the ride.

But, if the captaincy does change hands, Pearce’s age, experience and passion fit the profile perfectly.

“I’m hugely honoured to be able to do it and it gives me a real lift to lead the boys out,” Pearce said last year. “I’ll cherish every moment I get to do it.”

It’s why both he and Fyfe flanked Longmuir in Fremantle’s recent team photo shoot, an indication of their stature without serving as confirmation.

Pearce will make a great captain one day.

The question is whether that day is now, or after the Dockers give Fyfe one last crack at making history as the club’s first premiership captain.