Pavlich played his entire AFL career at Fremantle after making his debut for the club in 2000. Over his 17-year career, he was a six-time best and fairest winner, eight-time leading goalkicker and was the club captain between 2007 and 2015. In 2014, he became the first player from a Western Australian based club to reach 300 AFL games.
Pavlich played school football at Sacred Heart College in Adelaide and followed the footsteps of his father, playing senior football for the Woodville-West Torrens Eagles before he was drafted into the AFL.[2] In 1999, he was the club's leading goalkicker.[3]
AFL career
Drafting
Pavlich was recruited by Fremantle with the fourth selection in the 1999 AFL national draft. Pavlich had nominated for the 1998 draft, but was overlooked by all clubs. Most notably Adelaide instead drafted 17-year-old Ken McGregor who went on to play 158 games between 1999 and 2008, and cross town rival Port Adelaide who instead chose 17-year-old Adam Morgan who played only 3 games between 2002 and 2003 for Port.
Early career (2000–2001)
Pavlich warming up prior to a game during the 2006 AFL season
With the 2000 AFL season starting earlier than normal due to the 2000 Summer Olympics later that year in Sydney, Pavlich only played one game for South Fremantle in the Westar Rules before making his AFL debut in Round 5 against Melbourne.[4] Pavlich achieved the rare feat of kicking 2 goals with his first 2 kicks in the AFL.[5] He went on to play the remaining 18 games for the season, earning himself a Rising star nomination in Round 17[4] while contributing consistently and finished ninth in the club's best and fairest award.[6]
The 2001 Season saw Pavlich spend more time in the forward line. He managed to underline his potential with some ball grabbing performances including two 4-goal hauls against the Brisbane Lions which earned him 2 Brownlow votes, the first of his career. Pavlich went on to play 21 games for the season, finishing with a respectable 28 goals. In an otherwise disappointing season for Fremantle, Pavlich was the shining light as he started to realise his true potential.
Rising career (2002–2004)
2002 was the season that would set up Matthew Pavlich for the rest of his career. In a widely unexpected move, new Fremantle coach Chris Connolly moved Pavlich into a defensive role. Playing against some of the power forwards of the competition, Pavlich underlined his versatility and talent as a footballer, as he displayed a smooth transition into the role. He showed the uncanny ability of shutting down opponents, while gathering plenty of possession and setting up play further up the ground. This saw him earn his first All-Australian selection at fullback at the age of 20.
Pavlich flies high for a mark against Melbourne in 2008
In the 2003 season he was again called upon to play a different role, Pavlich was this time thrust into a midfield role, while also pushing up to half forward. This allowed him to gather multiple possessions forward of centre and develop into a strong goal-kicking midfielder. Playing all 23 games for the season, including the club's first final, Pavlich finished off averaging 18.7 possessions per game, and executed his damaging midfield role perfectly with 37 goals.[7] He was rewarded with a second selection in the All-Australian team for the 2003 season, this time named on the half forward flank.
Career high (2005–2008)
The 2005 season saw Pavlich moved to centre half forward, with Fremantle focusing on a taller forward structure. The move paid massive dividends for the team, as Pavlich topped Fremantle's list of goalkickers, with 61 goals for the season. He also took more marks than any other Docker and won his second Doig Medal as Fremantle's best and fairest player. In the 2005 Brownlow Medal count, Pavlich was tipped as a contender, but like Tredrea in 2004, the power forwards did not get the votes of the umpires and Pavlich finished equal ninth; receiving more votes than any other Fremantle player.
He has been selected in the All-Australian Teams six times: in 2002 (fullback), 2003 (half forward flank), 2005 (centre half forward), 2006 (interchange), 2007 (full forward) and 2008 (interchange). He was a member of the Australian International rules team in 2002 and 2003, and was a Rising Star nominee in 2000. On 13 December 2006 Pavlich was named the captain of the Fremantle Football Club, succeeding Peter Bell.
Matthew Pavlich kicks for goal in 2010
Despite the additional burden of captaincy, Pavlich performed well throughout the 2007 season, leading an otherwise disappointing Fremantle side. He kicked a club record 72 goals, came second in the Coleman Medal and was named full-forward in the All-Australian team for 2007.
On 14 August 2007, Pavlich signed a new, 3-year contract with the Fremantle Football Club, which ended speculation that he may join the Adelaide Crows or Port Adelaide. The contract is rumoured to be worth $2.5 million.[8]
In 2008, despite Fremantle again missing the finals, Pavlich won his fifth Doig Medal, as well as being Fremantle's leading goalkicker, the Ross Glendinning Medal in both Western Derbies and his sixth All-Australian selection.[9]
2009–2011
2009 saw Pavlich, under coach Mark Harvey, move into the midfield. He had a strong year averaging 21.7 disposals and leading the goal-kicking for Fremantle with 28 goals from 19 games.
Pavlich spent 2010 rotating between the midfield and forward line, averaging 18.9 disposals and leading the goal-kicking for the Dockers with 61 goals, helping his team make the finals for the first time since 2006.
Pavlich was forced back into the midfield for the 2011 season following a number of significant injuries to the Dockers. He had another successful year averaging 23.5 disposals and kicking 21 goals from 20 games. This saw Pav end the year with 9 Brownlow medal votes, the second highest for the Dockers and win his 6th club best & fairest, narrowly beating Nathan Fyfe.[10]
2012 season and 500th goal
In round 7 of the 2012 AFL season, Pavlich kicked his 500th career goal in a four-goal effort which lead his team to victory against Port Adelaide, becoming the first Fremantle player and the 51st player in VFL/AFL history to kick 500 goals. Following a permanent move to the forward line in the second half of the year, Pavlich kicked 55 goals in his final 13 games. His own form mirrored Fremantle's late-season resurgence, the highlights being an 8-goal haul in the Round 19 Western Derby and 6 goals in an Elimination Final victory against reigning premiers Geelong at the MCG.[11]
2013 season
Pavlich had a frustrating start to the 2013 season after a pre-existing Achilles tendon injury resurfaced in the Dockers round three clash against Essendon, forcing Pavlich to undergo surgery. Pavlich was originally thought to be sidelined for only four to six weeks but a longer recovery time than anticipated kept him out for sixteen weeks.[12] Despite losing their leading goal kicker Fremantle remained in good form contending for a top four finish on the ladder throughout the season.[13]
Pavlich made his return during Fremantle's round 20 clash against GWS kicking two goals.[14] A win in the qualifying final against Geelong and a top 4 ladder finish saw Pavlich and the Dockers proceed to face the Sydney Swans in the preliminary finals. Pavlich played a pivotal role kicking 3 goals leading the Dockers to a 25-point victory and the clubs first ever AFL Grand Final appearance.[15] Pavlich kicked 3 goals in the Dockers 15 point loss to Hawthorn.[16]
2014 season
Pavlich played his 300th game in round 9 against the Geelong Cats. He reached another milestone in the same match, with his 600th career goal.
2016 season
On 13 January 2016, Pavlich relinquished the captaincy of the Fremantle Football Club after nine seasons, and was replaced by David Mundy.[17] Pavlich announced his retirement at the end of July 2016, with his final game slated to be in Round 23 against the Western Bulldogs. He stated, "I'm just looking forward to finishing the season off individually in good form and certainly helping my teammates launch towards 2017... I have nothing left to give and I can walk away feeling quite fulfilled."[18]
In August, Pavlich's 353rd and final game saw Fremantle defeat the eventual Premiers, the Western Bulldogs, by 20 points. It was only Fremantle's fourth win for the season, and came after eight straight losses. Pavlich entered the ground with his teammates and family through a 29-person guard-of-honour of Fremantle Football Club fans. He kicked a goal in the first quarter to reach 700 career goals, which moved him into elite company in the 350-game, 700-goal club with Kevin Bartlett and Bernie Quinlan.[19] After the game, Pavlich ran a final lap of the stadium to farewell fans before exiting the ground through a guard-of-honour consisting of current Fremantle and Western Bulldogs players, and past Fremantle players.[20] Pavlich said he planned to have a six-month break with his family before pursuing a new career outside football, stating, "I've been doing this for 17 years; I need to do something different, I need to get into another industry and challenge myself in another sphere of life."[21]
Post-playing career
In April 2018, Pavlich was appointed the Monday–Wednesday sports presenter on Nine News Perth. He commenced in the role from Monday 16 April.[22]
In late December 2018, Pavlich was appointed as a correspondent for Nine's Wide World of Sports coverage of the Hopman Cup Tennis tournament in Perth.
In 2009, many AFL footballers appeared in a television advertisement titled "AFL: In a League of its Own", which featured prominent AFL players playing Australian rules football at famous sporting venues around the world, and in the middle of other sports being played, including basketball, Association football and American football. In the advertisement, Pavlich receives the ball from a Gary Ablett Jr. kick during an international off-road rally driving event, before proceeding to kick the ball to Justin Koschitzke.[24]
Pavlich married his girlfriend of eight and a half years, Lauren O'Shannassy, in December 2010.[2][25] In 2013, their daughter was born.[26] During their arrival at the 2014 Brownlow Medal they announced that they were expecting a second child and in 2015, their first son was born, and in 2016 their second son was born.[27]
The Fremantle Football Club, nicknamed the Dockers, is a professional Australian rules football club competing in the Australian Football League (AFL), the sport's elite competition. The team was founded in 1994 to represent the port city of Fremantle, a stronghold of Australian rules football in Western Australia. The Dockers were the second team from the state to be admitted to the competition, following the West Coast Eagles in 1987. Both Fremantle and the West Coast Eagles are owned by the West Australian Football Commission (WAFC), with a board of directors operating Fremantle on the commission's behalf.
Peter Francis Bell is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Fremantle Football Club and the North Melbourne Football Club in the Australian Football League. He played as a rover. A former captain of the Fremantle Football Club, Bell was twice named as a member of the All-Australian Team. He was an acclaimed ball-winner and had more than 30 possessions in a game on 39 occasions in his career.
The Western Derby is the name given to the Australian rules football match between the West Coast Eagles and the Fremantle Dockers, who both participate in the Australian Football League (AFL). As both teams are based in Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, the term "derby" is used to describe the match. It has become the most important match for football in Western Australia, with former West Coast player and coach John Worsfold claiming that in the week before a derby that it is the main topic in Perth.
It's obviously different to the build-up of any normal game... We don't care what else is happening in the country, which is great."
The Doig Medal is the best and fairest award given out to the player considered best and fairest during a season for the Fremantle Football Club in the AFL.
Shaun John McManus is a former Australian rules footballer. He is one of the most popular players to ever represent the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL) and is often seen as an icon or favourite son of the club. He has been described as the AFL's uphill skiing champion due to his courage, persistence and resilience in overcoming two knee reconstructions.
David Mundy is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He played as a half back flanker or midfielder and was the captain of Fremantle during the 2016 AFL season. Mundy sits ninth in the VFL/AFL games records for most games played.
Clive Waterhouse is a former Australian rules footballer. He played in the Australian Football League (AFL) for the Fremantle Football Club as a half-forward flanker.
Fremantle Football Club's drafting and trading history is often cited as a reason for their poor on-field record; the club took eight years to reach a final, and won their first final in 2006. In recent years, however, they have been successful in finding good players with late round and rookie list selections.
Peter Lori Sumich is a former Australian rules footballer who represented West Coast in the Australian Football League (AFL) and South Fremantle in the West Australian Football League (WAFL) during the 1980s and 1990s.
Hayden Ballantyne is a former Australian rules footballer who played for the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League. He was a 2014 All Australian and has previously won a Sandover Medal while playing with Peel Thunder.
Michael Walters is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Originally playing mainly as a small forward, Walters has recently spent more time in the midfield. In 2019 he was rewarded with his debut selection in the All-Australian team.
Jay van Berlo is an Australian rules footballer, who formerly played for the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He currently plays for the West Perth Football Club in the West Australian Football League (WAFL).
Nathan Fyfe is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). Fyfe is a dual Brownlow Medallist, dual Leigh Matthews Trophy recipient, three-time All-Australian and three-time Doig Medallist. He received a nomination for the 2010 AFL Rising Star award in round 9 of the 2010 season. Fyfe served as Fremantle captain from 2017 to 2022.
Lachlan Oliver Neale is an Australian rules footballer and the co-captain of the Brisbane Lions in the Australian Football League (AFL). He previously played for the Fremantle Football Club from 2012 to 2018 before being traded to the Brisbane Lions in 2019, where he won the Brownlow Medal in both 2020 and 2023.
Matthew Taberner is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He mainly plays as a key position forward.
The 2014 Fremantle Football Club season is the club's 20th season of senior competition in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Brennan Cox is a professional Australian rules footballer playing for the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
Gemma Houghton is an Australian rules footballer playing for the Port Adelaide Football Club in the AFL Women's competition. Houghton was recruited by Fremantle as a free agent in October 2016. She had never played AFL before, having been found through a talent search open to all athletes. She previously played high level basketball.
Lachlan Schultz is a professional Australian rules footballer who plays for the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL). He previously played for the Fremantle Football Club from 2019–2023.
Josh Treacy is an Australian rules footballer who plays for the Fremantle Football Club in the Australian Football League (AFL).
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