WAFL 2025: Developing forward Charlie Nicholls says young Fremantle Dockers will be ready if needed
A series of untimely injuries derailed the Dockers' 2024 campaign, seeing the harbour club fall from third to 10th in just seven weeks.
Spearhead Josh Treacy was the linchpin of the capitulation, hurting his PCL to miss a crucial final three games.
However, Nicholls said the WAFL brigade were working hard behind the scenes to ensure they were ready to be the next man up.
'I think we just keep putting our best foot forward, keep focusing on things to improve ourselves and improve as a team down here,' he told The West Australian.
'Whatever happens happens, and we'll just keep putting our best foot forward down here and keep working on the things we need to work on.
'I'm feeling good and feel like I'm building every week. Obviously, a tough one today, but I'm feeling fit, feeling strong.'
Peel's young forward line found the going tough in a 28-point defeat at the hands of East Perth in Mandurah on Saturday, especially with the ball being blazed into the 50, rarely suiting the leads from Nicholls.
However, the 19-year-old South Australian said he enjoyed getting to know his Thunder teammates and learning to work together as a forward group.
'We're a very young team as a whole, so it is tough,' he said.
'But the boys are really good to work with, and we work really well together and get along really well.
'We're just going to keep getting more experience every time we play and just keep building. The group down here makes it really easy for the Fremantle guys to come down and slot in.'
Peel managed just six goals for the day against the Royals despite booting three of those in the first term, and Nicholls said the side had learnt plenty to work on.
'How contest and our team D were the main things we're going to look at,' he said.
'I just think we got beaten in the contest and then lost field position, and then it's hard to defend from that.'
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