LUKE Ryan learnt the hard way about AFL professionalism last year, and has used his club-imposed suspension to school Fremantle's latest batch of draftees about off-field expectations. 

Ryan enjoyed a standout debut season with the Dockers, claiming the Beacon Award as the club's best young player after 11 encouraging games across half-back.

But the mature age recruit's inexperience as an elite footballer proved costly when he and Brennan Cox breached team standards by drinking alcohol after the round 17 loss to West Coast.

Ryan and Cox were both subsequently dropped for the next match against Hawthorn six days later. 

"I learnt a lot off it. Obviously I missed a game. I've learnt from that and put it behind me but I've moved on from it really and it definitely won't happen again," Ryan said. 

"It was a bit of everything. Inexperience and a bad decision."

It was a mistake Ryan doesn't want any of his young teammates to replicate, which he impressed on Freo's draftees during a camp for first and second-year players in November.  

"I have told the boys about the incident when we went on a camp. I told them you are being watched everywhere and not to make a decision like I did," Ryan said.

"These first-year boys are really switched on, so they will be right." 

The Hawthorn clash was the only match Ryan missed after making his debut in round 11 last year. 

Ryan quickly became one of the Dockers' better decision-makers and ball users from defence, and surprised himself with his impact after being plucked from Coburg with pick 66 in the 2016 NAB AFL Draft. 

But that doesn't mean the intercept-marking backman – who turns 22 on Tuesday – feels he's nailed-down a spot in the best 22. 

"We have a young backline, we’re all fit and ready to go, so I don’t feel safe at all, every week we take it as it comes," he said.

"Now we’ve got Nathan Wilson and Taylin Duman is really training well, and our ball use is getting a lot better. 

"We all have to work on a lot and it’s going to be a massive fight for spots." 

But after battling shoulder and ankle issues during his first pre-season, Ryan feels better-prepared for what lies ahead in 2018.

"I feel a lot stronger and a lot fitter. I had interruptions last season but I feel a lot better now and I am feeling a lot stronger and I can’t wait for the season to start," he said.

"Another year in again and I feel like I know a whole lot more and I am looking forward to it."