Sandi sets sights on new Freo deal

Fremantle ruck giant Aaron Sandilands wants to play on beyond this year regardless of whether highly respected teammates Matthew Pavlich and Luke McPharlin retire at season’s end.

Pavlich and McPharlin, who have both turned 32 and are coming out of contract, have said they will put off making a final decision about whether to bring their careers to an end until this season is over.

The existing playing deal of 31-year-old Sandilands is also due to finish at the end of 2014.

However, thewest.com.au understands the club’s tallest player is committed to extending his 193-game career into at least another season and plans to ignore any lure from a rival club under free agency to re-sign with the Dockers.

A new contract for Sandilands could be struck as early as this month. A source close to Sandilands said: “It’s 100 per cent that he’s going around again.”

Fremantle general manager of player management Brad Lloyd returns from leave on Monday and new deals for star midfielders Nat Fyfe and David Mundy will be the major priorities.

Paul Duffield and Hayden Ballantyne are two other senior players who are due to come out of contract at the end of the 2014 season.

Ballantyne said at the club’s AFL community camp in Pinjarra this week that he hoped his teammates would re-sign in the near future.

“I’ll sign as soon as my manager tells me to sign on the dotted line,” he said.

Sandilands has managed no more than 14 matches in each of his past three seasons after battling a serious hamstring injury and foot problems in recent years.

But the 211cm ruckman showed his value to the team had not diminished during last year’s finals series in which he monstered the Geelong and Sydney ruck divisions to help propel Fremantle to their first grand final.

The three-times All-Australian partnered with Zac Clarke against the Cats to dominate the hit-outs 53-16 in the Dockers’ 15-point qualifying final victory, showcasing some of his best tap work for several seasons.

Two weeks later Sandilands pulled in six marks to go with three clearances and 33 hit-outs as part of a ruthless demolition of then reigning premiers Sydney.

The veteran is on the verge of becoming just the seventh player in Fremantle’s history to pass the 200-game mark.

Sandilands is coming off a strong pre-season and will be putting up his hand to play in the Dockers’ NAB Challenge matches against West Coast on February 18 and the Western Bulldogs on February 26.

He said last month he was feeling good on the training track and wanted to play in as many pre-season matches as possible, despite suffering a hamstring tear during last year’s NAB Cup that kept him out for 12 home-and-away matches.