Alex Pearce is Fremantle's captain courageous, and Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir is glad the rest of the AFL is finally catching up to how good a leader the 31-year-old is.
Pearce will notch his 150-game milestone when he lines up in Thursday night's heavyweight blockbuster against Geelong at Optus Stadium.
The path has been an arduous one for Pearce, who suffered a series of career-threatening leg and ankle fractures earlier in his career.
Pearce has also been open and honest about the anxiety battles he has faced throughout his career, both in regards to injuries and his personal performance.
It is through those struggles Pearce has built up a huge amount of resilience, and his leadership has grown immensely year on year since being appointed captain for the first time ahead of the 2023 campaign.
"I'm super proud," Longmuir said ahead of Pearce's milestone game.
"I think the AFL world's slowly caught on to how good a leader he is.
"The resilience he's shown to be able to get over his injuries and become a more consistent player (is admirable).
"And then not only just focus on himself in those moments, but make sure he's focusing on the team and how we're getting better has been a pleasure to watch. I'm glad the rest of the competition's caught on."
Pearce is fast becoming renowned for his game sense - when to stay on his man, or when to peel off for a crucial intercept or tackle.
This knack was best summed up in the pulsating two-point win over Adelaide in round four, when Pearce produced a game-saving smother in the dying moments.
That victory marked Fremantle's third triumph on the trot.
The Dockers are now on a club-record 12-match winning streak, with Pearce's leadership proving crucial during that hot run.
ALEX PEARCE DOES IT AT ADELAIDE OVAL... AGAIN 🌟@FreoDockers' skipper is no stranger to match-winning heroics in the 'City of Churches', sealing his side's win with this EPIC smother 💜🤍#AFLCrowsFreo pic.twitter.com/RG7sGBeJNp
— Fox Footy (@FOXFOOTY) April 3, 2026
"He's got a real presence about him, he picks and chooses his moments," Longmuir said of Tasmanian Pearce, who is set to be heavily targeted by the incoming Tasmania Devils, but has given no indication he will leave Freo.
"He's got a hard edge with his leadership, but he's got a real caring nature about him, and he's able to impose himself on games and lead in games, which is a real balance for any leader to find."
Fremantle's sole slip-up this season came in round one when they coughed up a 35-point lead late in the second quarter on the way to a 10-point loss to Geelong (9-5) at the Cattery.
The Dockers are set to be bolstered by the return of Caleb Serong (calf) and Brennan Cox (knee), while Matthew Johnson (hamstring) could also come back into the side.
Geelong are sweating on the availability of star defender Tom Stewart (concussion), but spearhead Jeremy Cameron has been declared a definite starter despite his battles with a hip injury.
Australian Associated Press
