Fremantle captain Matthew Pavlich says Hayden Ballantyne will be encouraged to retain his aggression in his new role as a member of the club's leadership group.

Ballantyne's growing status at Fremantle was underlined yesterday when the Dockers added him to a group which has been cut from eight to six members for the 2012 season.

Pavlich will captain the club for a record sixth season.

Aaron Sandilands, David Mundy, Luke McPharlin and Matt de Boer were retained, while Paul Duffield, Garrick Ibbotson and Chris Mayne were omitted.

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