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Mayne with new Fremantle deal

By Kim Hagdorn
15 March 2013 06:06PM EST

FREMANTLE has reaffirmed faith in colourful forward Chris Mayne as a vital cog in plans for a bright and potential premiership winning future with a new contract.

Mayne, 24, has signed three-year extension after the emerging scoring ace finished runner-up in Fremantle’s fairest-and-best voting last season and booted 39 goals.

He has committed to stay a Docker through until the end of 2016.

Fremantle also revealed late on Friday that defender Zac Dawson had signed a new two-year extension.

Mayne is considered a crucial factor in Dockers ambitious plans for sustained finals and possible flag in approaching seasons under hard-line head-coach Ross Lyon.

The at times high-flying key forward is considered a future leader at Fremantle in coming seasons as the Dockers lose long serving stars Matthew Pavlich, Luke McPharlin and Aaron Sandilands.

Mayne was also elevated into Fremantle’s leadership team for 2013, headed by Pavlich as captain.

Mayne forms and integral component of Fremantle’s scoring hopes in conjunction with superstar forward Pavlich, 31, who is well into the twilight of his highly decorated playing days.

Mayne has booted 100 goals from his 81 senior appearances since making his debut against powerhouse outfit Hawthorn back in Round 2 of 2008.

The floppy-haired, hard-running new goal-shark suffered an early setback to his blossoming career when Mayne missed almost all of his second season in the unforgiving AFL with on-going ankle problems and managed only five games in 2009.

Now it is an emergence of Mayne as a key forward focal target in tandem with Pavlich last season that lifted the Dockers back into finals in Lyon’s first season at the helm.

His flamboyant forward play and potentially crucial goal-scoring was flagged in 2011 when Mayne booted 25 goals from his 22 outings under former head coach Mark Harvey and slapped on an impressive 92 tackles in important forward zone pressure.

Mayne played 23 of a possible 24 games last season under Lyons’ new intensive defensive strategies all over the ground, but was forced to curb an impressive summer pre-season program when he suffered a slight ankle strain in the opening NAB Cup triangular series engagements against Geelong.

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