Fremantle superstar Caleb Serong is the latest AFL player to open up about the mental battles he faces, revealing the dark moments of his phenomenal 2025 campaign after being named as Fremantle's best and fairest player for a third successive season.
Serong pipped star midfield partner Andrew Brayshaw in the late stages of the Doig Medal count following another incredible individual year, where he led Fremantle to the finals for the first time since 2022, averaging 27.9 disposals, 5.9 score involvements and a career-high 8.2 clearances per game.
However, Serong highlighted this year hasn't been completely smooth sailing for him personally, shining a light on the mental battles he faced during the pre-season and how he works to overcome his self-doubt.
"Doubts are everywhere. I have a lot of fear and a lot of doubts every week," Serong said.
"Throughout the pre-season I do a lot of work with a sports psychologist. You're halfway through pre-season and you've got guys like Matt Johnson, Neil Erasmus, Murphy Reid coming in hungry as anything to improve, to get better, to take your spot.
"I'm sitting there doubting whether I'll be able to hold my spot in the side next year.
"That kind of thought process has to be monitored to make sure it doesn't drain me, but it's also what pushes me and drives me to get better.
"I train my backside off to make sure that isn't the case."
Serong spoke about how his work with his sports psychologist helps him shift his mentality toward one with greater self-confidence, which he believes will help him become a better footballer.
"It's not very often you go out there and think 'I'm the best player on this field'," Serong said.
"I've got to work through that mindset and making sure that I do have that belief going, because the fear and doubts are very real."
Serong became just the second player in Fremantle's history to win the best and fairest award three years running, joining Matthew Pavlich in the elusive club. He joins Nat Fyfe and Peter Bell in the three-time Doig medallist club as well, which he called a "massive honour".
"It's a massive honour and I feel really privileged to just win one, let alone two or three in a row," the midfielder told media on Saturday night.
"Consistency is something I pride myself on, and wanting to perform for me teammates and the club week in and week out.
"This [the Doig Medal] is potentially an outcome of that and my focus on that, but it is weird to think that only one other person in the club's history has won three in a row."
Serong said he's not concerned with his legacy, despite the 24-year-old quickly establishing himself as one of the club's greatest ever players just six seasons into his AFL career.
"I'm very present in the moment in terms of what's important to me and this football club," Serong said.
"For me, that's making sure I'm in a position to continue to play good footy, get better and contribute to a winning team.
"As a football club, every individual, how I can help them get to where they want to get to. That's all I really care about right now."
