It wasn't unusual for Fyfe, in his first season at the club, to be spotted on game-day by himself at the local beach at South Fremantle.
Sometimes with a footy in his hands, Fyfe would wade through the water to get his legs feeling fresh. He would have a walk around the local park, think about what he wanted to achieve in the game later that day or night, and then go and do it.
Although Fyfe is unlikely to find the time on Saturday morning to hit the beach in Melbourne ahead of the Grand Final, he looms as a match-winner.
He has played well against Hawthorn in the past, is in good form after a brilliant showing in last week's preliminary final against the Sydney Swans, and seems a player who has always wanted his chance on the biggest stage.
Those who saw Fyfe's emergence from close range believe he is ready for that opportunity.
"He had this quiet confidence about him," remembers former Fremantle star Paul Hasleby, whose last season of AFL football in 2010 was Fyfe's first.
"He knew he was very good but there was no arrogance with him. He just had that air of a champion at a very young age when he came in. He was pick 20 and from the get-go we knew it would be a steal, so it was very good recruiting from Fremantle at the time."
Fyfe's demeanour wasn't the only thing that struck Hasleby, who played 208 games for the club after being the No.2 draft pick in 1999.
"The first thing we noticed was the size of his hands," he said.
"When you shake his hand he just had one of those big hands that when he got out onto the oval he was so clean with it, he could take a mark, he could do it at ground level, he was very athletic.
"I just remember an aura about him where everything he did, he did it with a calm confidence and he's proven to be an absolute champion at such a young age."
Fyfe is often spoken about as the prototypical modern midfielder. At 190cm he is tall enough to play in a key position – and Hasleby thinks he could – but he has speed, power, and a leap that makes him difficult to contain.
He also has an ability that is harder to measure: he brings his best when games are in the balance.
"He's got a terrific midfield around him which has certainly helped him but I've always said in any given time in his career they can put him at centre half-forward and he'll become one of the best centre half-forwards in the competition," he said.
"He has that knack of being able to hang in the air and read the ball well which, coupled with the ability to take it at its highest point with one grab, makes him such an effective player."
Fyfe this week spoke of talking to premiership stars Cameron Ling and Brett Kirk about how to handle Grand Final week, and how to keep it simple. "You don't have to reinvent anything," Fyfe said.
That sits well with Hasleby, who has watched Fyfe closely this season. He expects Fyfe to escape a hard tag from Hawthorn, run from end to end like he usually does, and play on his terms.
"On any big occasion that's when the great players come out, and no doubt he'll put on a show in Melbourne," Hasleby said.
Twitter: @AFL_CalTwomey
