Connor Blakely Biography

Connor Blakely announces his retirement after 78 AFL games.

"I've had so many ups and downs and challenges along the way throughout my career but I’m very appreciative of the opportunities and experiences that I’ve had," he said.

"I'm at a point of time in my life where I'm ready to let go of football but would love to finish off on a massive high by winning a VFL flag with my teammates after all the work we’ve put in this year."

Gold Coast select Connor Blakely with pick No.7 in the 2022 Rookie Draft.

Fremantle delist Connor Blakely.

"Connor has played a significant amount of football for us over a seven-year period, including 13 games in 2021 where he was primarily used in the difficult role of being our medical sub," Fremantle list boss David Walls said.

"We should also acknowledge his important contribution with Peel Thunder as a Simpson Medallist in their inaugural premiership side as well as winning their best and fairest in 2015.

Fremantle select Connor Blakely with pick No.34 in the 2021 Rookie Draft.

Fremantle delist Connor Blakely and Mitch Crowden, but has committed to re-selecting the pair in the upcoming AFL Rookie Draft.

Connor Blakely signs a three-year contract extension to remain at the Dockers until the end of 2022.

"Connor's size, athleticism and running ability, as well his ability to play half-back and also develop as an inside midfielder … we see that as a really strong component to our mix," Fremantle list manager Mark Micallef said.

Blakely, 23, is one of the club's most promising young ball-winners, but has endured a 2019 campaign stunted by injury and missed the first eight matches with a hamstring issue.

However, he has made a strong return and is on track for a fourth successive season of averaging more than 20 disposals per match across both half-back and through the midfield.

Connor Blakely will consult a surgeon after scans revealed he had sustained a hamstring tendon injury set to sideline him for three months or more.

"At this stage, the medical advice is that Connor will require 12 to 14 weeks to fully recover," Dockers head of football Peter Bell said.

"It's obviously disappointing for both Connor and the football club, but we are confident he will be able to return in the first half of the season and have an impact."

Connor Blakely is expected to miss the rest of the 2018 season after undergoing surgery for a knee injured during training.

Fremantle initially expected the meniscus damage would sideline him for six weeks but the surgeon ended up repairing the cartilage instead of just trimming it.

"They were able to repair it, which is really significant for his future because cartilage plays a significant (role in) cushioning," Fremantle coach Ross Lyon said.

"So he'll be in better shape as he gets older but it will mean a longer rehab. He will be really stretching it to get back (this year)."

Connor Blakely will undergo surgery after injuring the cartilage in his right knee at training, and is expected to miss up to six weeks.

Connor Blakely will undergo surgery for his shoulder which will rule him out for the rest of the 2017 season.

Connor Blakey dislocates his shoulder twice in the first half of his Fremantle's clash against Greater Western Sydney.

Blakely, 21, landed heavily on his left shoulder midway through the opening term at Spotless Stadium, after a contesting a mark in the Dockers defensive goal square.

Blakely went straight to the bench and was in the hands of medical staff before he was taken down to the rooms.

He emerged from the change rooms with his shoudler strapped and returned to the field late in the opening quarter.

However, 14 minutes into the second term, he was in the wars again, grabbing the joint after a marking contest in the back line.

Once again, he made a beeline for the bench, and was taken into the rooms.

Fremantle coach Ross Lyon has dismissed concerns about the management of Connor Blakely's shoulder injury after the midfielder appeared to dislocate the joint twice against Greater Western Sydney.

"I just leave it in the doctors' hands," Lyon said.

"They pick up the phone and tell me 'He's right to come back on' – so he came back on."

Connor Blakely has been dropped by Fremantle for going surfing on the same day he went home from the club due to illness.

Blakely, 21, left Dockers headquarters mid-afternoon before travelling two hours to his home town Bunbury and then further south to Yallingup, where he went for a surf.

"As a respected, young and emerging player at Fremantle, Connor knows the uncompromising standards that all of our players are required to adhere to and, in this instance, Connor has not been at the required level," Dockers general manager of football operations Chris Bond said.

"As a result Connor was withdrawn from the team to play St Kilda."

Connor Blakely signs a new two-year deal with the Dockers that will keep him at the club until the end of 2019.

"I think it was a no-brainer decision," Blakely said of his contract extension.

"I'm from WA and all my friends and family are here. It's a really good lifestyle and I love the club.

"I've formed some great friendship with the boys at the club so it was a decision that wasn't hard at all, so I'm really happy."

Connor Blakely understands his role in the Dockers team and says he is happy to be just on the edge of selection each week.

"After the round two game Ross and I had a pretty honest conversation about what my role was to be for the following weeks – and that was obviously the tagging role," Blakely said.

"I think you're never fully established in the midfield. I always play better when I'm on the edge.

"When you're on the edge you know you're not a full-time player in the team.

"Anyone's really one or two bad games from being out of the side."

Connor Blakely is relishing shutdown roles on some of the AFL's star midfielders after being tasked to work on the defensive side of his game by Fremantle coach Ross Lyon.

"Me embracing this role has allowed me to, firstly stay in the team, and then contribute really well," Blakely said.

"It enables you to have that single-minded focus.

"It's not a full-on lockdown role, but it's something that enables the other midfielders to win the ball a bit more and we know I'll be taking care of one of their major ball-winners."

Fremantle coach Ross Lyon says Connor Blakely needs to tidy up his disposal after the youngster was omitted from the side that will face the Sydney Swans at Domain Stadium this week.

"His disposal, he's turning it over more than we would like working on the spread," Lyon said on Friday.

"But young players, sometimes you've got to alleviate the pressure valve on them. It's pretty tough, young mids against big inside mids.

"He's disappointed obviously but he'll bounce back with good character and we should see him again before the end of the year."

Stephen Hill says he has enjoyed stepping into an inside midfield role to help shoulder the load given the Dockers' injury crisis this season.

"It was good to be around the contest and keep working on my game inside, which I have been working on," he said.

"We've had a few guys rotating through there. Connor Blakely is young and coming through there, myself, Lachie Neale, David Mundy. We've got to share the load and get a few guys running through there."

Connor Blakely is the round 11 NAB Rising Star nomination after picking up 25 disposals in Fremantle's first win of the season against Essendon.

Blakely managed just four disposals to half time but says a pep talk from Nat Fyfe during the break helped him turn it around in the second half.

"I hadn't really had that much of an influence on the game but he spoke about how my tackling pressure (four tackles) had been really good and I was right there at the contest yet the ball hadn't really bounced my way," Blakely said.

"Fyfey said, 'Don't be down about that because I know you'll respond.'"

Connor Blakely says his debut against Port Adelaide in 2015 made him realize what was required to compete at AFL level.

"I think it was just a big eye-opener of how big and strong AFL players are but I'm hungry for more," Blakely said.

"After that Port game I realised I need to get stronger, fitter and just make quicker decisions."

Blakely says improving his strength has been his major focus this pre-season.

"Playing in the WAFL there are a lot of strong guys but across the board there's a lot of strong people in the AFL," Blakely said.

"So working on your strength is something that is very important as a second-year player because you're not going to be able to match it with guys like (Travis) Boak that are five, six, seven, eight-year players in the comp."

Connor Blakely makes his AFL debut for Fremantle at Adelaide Oval with 12 disposals (3 kicks and 9 handballs), a mark, a tackle and 1 hitouts in a 69-point loss to Port Adelaide.

Connor Blakely signs a contract extension that will tie them to the Dockers until the end of 2017.

Blakely, 19, was contracted until the end of 2016 but has added a one-year extension after showing great promise in the WAFL. He has been very close to debuting for Fremantle on a few occasions this year.

The big-bodied inside midfield said he had been keen to secure his future at Fremantle.

"It was something I definitely wanted to do before the year was over," Blakely said.

"I'm glad that Freo was happy to extend my contract."

Michael Barlow says Fremantle teammate Connor Blakely has a ready-made build for AFL football and has earned his way into the Dockers' team for the first NAB Challenge against Melbourne.

"He's got a lot potential to grow into his body and put on some weight and improve his endurance, but he's come in with a really good base and he's shown some really, really positive signs through the intra-club games," Barlow said.

"He has a hardness at the ball, and his ability to learn … he's a bit like a sponge. He just asks questions and wants to know what he's doing right and where he can improve all the time."

Connor Blakely is selected with pick No.34 by Fremantle in the 2014 NAB AFL Draft.

"We were really excited that Connor was still there and available - if he was there we were always going to read his name out there," Dockers general manager of player management Brad Lloyd said.

"We just see him as a really good stoppage clearance player. He gets in nice and close at the stoppages and he really impressed us this year playing senior footy for the Swans – he really impacted at senior level, which was a big tick for us."