Fremantle captain Alex Pearce has revealed the influence past leaders from his early playing days have had on his captaincy.

After it was announced earlier in the day that Pearce would lead the side as captain for his third season, the 29-year-old revealed in his Monday afternoon media conference that he has leaned on advice from previous leaders.

“Nat Fyfe has been a constant support throughout it all (Pearce’s captaincy),” Pearce said.

“To have blokes like Dave Mundy, Matthew Pavlich, Matt de Boer – leaders that I grew up with and who had a real influence on me – has been invaluable.

“A lot of their advice was really simple, and as I touched on, it was about working it out for yourself and coming to a sense where you do it your own way and stop worrying about what other people are saying or thinking.

“Almost reducing the expectations on yourself a little bit. Now I feel really clear that the way my life revolves, it’s about being a great athlete, a great footballer, and within that, hopefully a great leader among the group.”

Pearce went on to add that captaincy has had a special impact on his career, and he is looking forward to leading once again for a third season.

“It’s been the greatest couple of years of my career, being able to captain the Club, and I’m very proud and honoured to do it again,” Pearce said.

“I love doing it. It’s been a challenge at times, but I’ve always wanted to have a great influence over this footy club and this team. To be the man with the title of captain sits very well with me.”