Nat Fyfe returns to running training after nightmare run of shoulder concerns

Nat Fyfe’s shoulder has given him plenty of grief this year, but the superstar midfielder took a major step towards recovery on Thursday.

Fremantle captain Nat Fyfe has put a nightmarish start to the off-season behind him and returned to running training on Thursday.

Fyfe was able to kick and mark one-handed as he hit the training paddock for the first time since contracting an infection in the shoulder that has twice been operated on this year.

In photos captured by the Dockers, the 30-year-old appeared to have lost significant muscle mass during his time away from the game.

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Shoulder concerns dogged Fyfe for the second half of 2021.

He dislocated his right shoulder in the round 12 loss to the Western Bulldogs, but returned to play a month later.

After dislocating the shoulder again in rounds 18 and 19, Fyfe was left with little choice but to undergo season-ending surgery in July.

Fyfe last played for the Dockers in round 19. Picture: Kelly Defina / Getty Images

Scans later revealed a crack in the bone block inserted into Fyfe’s shoulder as part of the surgery, forcing him to go under the knife again in October.

He subsequently contracted a bacterial infection in the shoulder, which required intravenous antibiotics.

Fighting to be fit for the 2022 season, the dual Brownlow medallist took an encouraging step in the right direction on Thursday by running at training for the first time since picking up the infection.

Nat returned to running today 🎉

Plus kicking and marking one handed.

Love to see it 😍 #foreverfreopic.twitter.com/OhOfmcc4e4

— Fremantle Dockers (@freodockers) December 2, 2021

The saga has led some AFL pundits to question whether Fyfe could still captain the Dockers in 2022.

“There’s no way known that he’s going to be the captain of Fremantle next season,” Essendon legend Tim Watson said on SEN last month.

“How can you be – under those circumstances? How can you be captain?

“He hasn’t run for four months, he hasn’t got back to training yet. He’s that far behind.”

Either way, it won’t be all doom and gloom for the Dockers come round 1, with the side picking up some promising young talent in the national draft last month.

Fremantle selected tall forward Jye Amiss with the eighth pick of the draft, as well as midfielders Neil Erasmus and Matthew Johnson, with picks 10 and 21 respectively.

Eric Benning (#54) rounded out the club’s picks, making 2021 the second consecutive year that Fremantle selected all-Western Australian talent at the national draft table.