Fred Again Rated A Draft DreamMonday, November 17, 2025 - 11:39 AM

South Fremantle midfielder Fred Rodriguez has been given a glowing endorsement ahead of the 2025 Telstra AFL Draft.

WA Football State Talent Manager Adam Jones has spoken about the attributes of the 18 year-old who entered this year as the most talked about draftee from the State.

“His work rate is as good as you’ll see in a young man both ways, offensively and defensively — almost too much defensively, which probably has hindered some of his offensive stuff this year,” Jones said. 

“But it’s a testament to his character that he’s willing to put in that work and lead by example.

“His skill set, he’s really clean, beautiful both sides of his body, so he’s really strong in those parts of his game.” 

Rodriguez enjoyed a strong pre-season heading into 2025 where he was rewarded with senior selection for South Fremantle against Perth.

That was his only league appearance this year, but he produced an outstanding season in the colts and at representative level.

Although the Bulldogs were defeated in the colts Grand Final, Rodriguez was a major factor in South Fremantle finishing on top of the table.

He averaged 25 disposals, five tackles and a goal in his eight games.

Rodriguez was also a standout player for his State, captaining WA, earning All-Australian selection and winning the Black Swans’ MVP award.

To cap off a terrific year, Rodriguez impressed many AFL recruiters at the National Draft Combine, recording a time of 6:20 in the 2km time, the seventh fastest of those who tested.

As Rodriguez prepares for life on an AFL-list, he spent much of 2025 learning from ex-AFL trio Isiah Winder, Ethan Hughes and Matthew Parker. 

“Probably the biggest one I learnt was patience,” Rodriguez said.

“Trying to break into the side, always rocking up to training, still making sure you’re doing all the right things, and giving your all. 

“Seeing guys like Matt Parker, Izzy Winder, their stoppage craft, they’re super-fast, super clean.

“That was a really good learning curve for me as well. 

“You can clearly see they were a step above; guys like Ethan Hughes, he’s super clean, never dropped the mark, never missed a kick. 

“It’s also really good for the confidence, if you’re able to match it with them in training, you feel pretty good about yourself knowing that they’ve done it at the highest level.”