The end of the AFL regular season always means the end of the careers of a number of players and in the final round of the 2016 season we said goodbye to Matthew Pavlich.
In an era of the game where just about every player is derided for one reason or another, Pavlich is one of only very few players that has been loved by the entire AFL community.
The AFL will not be the same without the heart and soul of Fremantle and in tribute we have put together this list of ten reasons we will miss Matthew Pavlich.
He Stuck Solid With An Unfashionable Club
Fremantle are far from the most fashionable club in the AFL, but Pavlich stuck solid with them to remain a one club man.
The Dockers have had plenty of ups and downs since Pavlich joined the club ahead of the 2000 AFL season, but Pavlich has been the one constant for the outfit and he played 353 games for his beloved club – more than 100 more than any other player in the clubs history.
He Was Always Massive In The Western Derby
There is no bigger game for Fremantle than the Western Derby with the West Coast Eagles and before Pavlich joined the club the Dockers had won just one of their ten meetings with their fierce rivals.
Fremantle have taken the upper hand in rivalry in the past half a decade – excluding this year – and one of the main reasons for that has been Pavlich.
Pavlich has kicked more goals in Western Derby history than any other player and he had an absolute day out when he kicked eight goals in the 2012 edition of the clash.
He Has A Sense Of Timing
It is fair to say that there are very few players in the history of the AFL that have a better sense of timing.
Pavlich played his 300th game for Fremantle during the 2014 AFL season and he kicked his 600th career goal in that game, while he was able to kick his 700th goal in the final game of his career.
He Lifted For Fremantle In The Finals
Fremantle have now played 15 AFL games and Pavlich was involved in every one of them.
He was a key member of Fremantle’s first finals side in 2003 and he was crucial in their surprise run to the preliminary final in 2006 before he became the first Docker to captain his side in a Grand Final in 2013.
He Has A Sense Of Humour About Himself
Like Brent Harvey at North Melbourne, Pavlich often found himself on the end of a bit of stick from his younger teammates.
This was particularly on display at a Fremantle event just over a year ago when Pavlich was roasted by some of this teammates, but Pav took it in good spirit and gave more than his own back.
He Loved Kicking A Bag Of Goals
There is nothing better than a forward at the height of his powers taking control of a match and kicking a stack of goals.
Pavlich did this on a number of occasions and his career is packed full of games where he was the genuine difference between the two sides.
No wonder he was Fremantle’s leading goalkicker on eight occasions and only just missed out on a Coleman Medal.
He Is As Brave As They Come
Nick Riewoldt and Johnathan Brown have been hailed as the two bravest forwards of the modern era, but Pavlich was right up there with him.
Pavlich never took his eyes off the footy in a contest and he missed very few games due to injury for a player with such a lengthy career.
He Even Sang The Dockers Song With Passion
Even Fremantle fans would admit that their club song is arguably the worst in the history of the AFL.
That never stopped Pavlich belting out this average tune with plenty of gusto and it was very clear that he bled purple!
It is hard to imagine Fremantle without him.
He Is A Good Looking Rooster
Greater Western Sydney Giants Matt Buntine may have been named Cleo Bachelor Of The Year in 2015, but Pav would have been an absolute moral if he hadn’t married his long-time girlfriend Lauren O’Shannassy back in 2010.
There is no doubt that Pav has always been a good looking rooster – and we aren’t ashamed to admit it!
Even The Western Bulldogs Banner Makers Love Him
You have to be doing something right when even the cheeky Western Bulldogs banner makers are singing your praises!
