FOOTWORK is not an element of football that gets a lot of attention, but for Fremantle midfielder Neil Erasmus it has been one of the biggest growth areas in a breakout season, providing flow-on effects to all areas of his game.

Erasmus has played every game this season and established himself as an important wingman who can rotate as an inside midfielder, with his composure and kicking improving rapidly.

It is the 22-year-old's ability to sidestep opponents and move through traffic, however, that has stood out most, three years after taking up summer tennis lessons as a left-field way to improve his footwork.

Working with new high performance manager Adam Beard and midfield coach Joel Corey, Erasmus has continued to sharpen his movement in tight spaces this year with benefits right across his game. 

"I didn't do the tennis lessons for very long, but it's probably when I first realised how important footwork was and just how much I had to learn and grow in that space," Erasmus told AFL.com.au this week.

"We worked with a tennis coach, and he taught us footwork and technique stuff that they implement in tennis that might be relevant to change of direction and patterning in footy.

"Our new high-performance manager comes from an NFL background, so it's been at the forefront of his work for a while, and he's implemented some new things in the warm-ups and drills that all the boys have taken up this year.

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"If you watch our warm-ups, they're very purposeful and 90 per cent of it is about footwork and about priming your footwork to get the most out of each session.

"That's been the biggest change and development for me."

Erasmus has built a strong relationship with Beard this season and worked closely with the former NFL, Major League Baseball, and international Rugby director of performance, watching tape and honing his footwork for different scenarios within games. 

The 190cm midfielder said he was still a long way from where he wanted to get to in that area of his game, but he had felt significant improvement in his performances as a result.   

"It sounds silly, but it is everything. It's disposal, decision-making, it all comes quicker because you're not unbalanced or looking at the ground. Your eyes are up and you feel in control and you've got lots of options," Erasmus said.  

"As soon as your footwork is off, you've got limited options, and that's something that 'Beardy' talks about a bit.

"If your balance is strong, you've got a lot of options, whether you want to get rid of the ball or drive any which way. If your foot work is good you'll be able to do that. If it's not, you limit yourself."

It was not long ago that Erasmus was moving between the WAFL and occasional roles as an AFL substitute or travelling emergency, ending his third season in 2024 without playing a full senior game that year.

Last season started with a similar pattern, playing two games early in the year before being dropped and then recalled as the starting substitute against Collingwood in round nine.

Erasmus was preparing for another return to the WAFL when coach Justin Longmuir called to hand him a job that sparked the next phase of his career.

"We played GWS in Sydney and JL rang me up and said that I was going to be playing on Tom Green, and I was like, 'Oh shit, he's someone that I really look up to as a player'," Erasmus said. 

"I'd wanted to do jobs like that before and all of a sudden it was about to happen. I went out there and then in my first centre bounce against him I gave away a free kick.

"It was like, here we go, but after that I played pretty well and felt like I played my role for the team.

"I didn't let that (free kick) derail my whole game after coming in for that role and putting a bit of pressure on myself, and I was able to mentally still play freely after that.

"I remember coming to the bench and JL got me on the phone and just said, 'well done'. I think that sort of sparked me."

Erasmus was dropped one more time last season for a pair of matches, but he returned in round 20 and then produced one of his best performances in a thrilling six-point win against Port Adelaide in round 22. He has been a mainstay since.

Playing on the wing has been an adjustment, but midfield coach Corey has been a significant influence as Erasmus averages a career-high 17.5 disposals and grows as an attacking threat with a career-high 13 goal assists this season (ranked equal No.6 at Fremantle).

His consistency has been highlighted by his coaches internally this season, with the sacrificial elements of his wing role routinely recognised by the team.  

"It's a position I played a bit last year but it's relatively new to me and one that needs filling for the team," Erasmus said.   

"So I've really been working diligently with my coaches on what they need from me in that role, and I'm a little less focused on stoppage craft and have more of a focus on [running] patterns and a bit of defensive stuff.

"It takes a while to get used to it. It's a very disciplined role, similar to high forwards, and one that the team values a lot. But at times you can be stuck on the open side just playing that role for the team for long periods.

"You've got to just be thinking about what's best for the team, not necessarily getting your hands on the footy.

"There's moments like that for every role, and we have a good session every review where we highlight that sort of stuff.

"It's probably the highlight of the week if you get noticed in those sort of clips and acknowledged by the boys and the leaders."