When Freo recruit made the call to leave Dees

New Fremantle recruit Judd McVee is thrilled to be back in his home state of WA.

The former Melbourne half-back joined the Dockers this off-season, with pick 23 going back to the Dees.

Hailing from Geraldton, a town 424km north of Perth, the move to Melbourne was a culture shock for the then-teenager in 2022.

While he slowly settled into life in Victoria, the pull for home became too hard to ignore in mid-2025 as he opted to pursue a trade after 65 games in the red and blue.

“It’s definitely a big shock from Geraldton,” McVee told SEN WA Breakfast.

“I think the first year (2022) was definitely the hardest, but then the other two (2023 and 2024), I definitely enjoyed them.

“Then, in my final year in 2025 I got halfway through the year and decided to pack up and come home.

“Freo presented very well to me, I saw the opportunity and thought I’d definitely take it.”

McVee was one of multiple players to leave Melbourne this off-season, with premiership-winning legends Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver also departing.

While it was a time of mass change at the Dees, McVee couldn’t see it coming as he was simply focused on getting himself back to WA.

“I didn’t really see too much of it coming,” McVee said.

“I was kind of just sticking to my thing with my manager. 

“I had a fair bit on my plate. So I didn’t think all of this was going to happen.”

While McVee could one day become a midfielder, for now, he’s more than happy to remain at half-back where he hopes to form a strong rebounding partnership with 2025 All-Australian Jordan Clark.

“At the moment it’s definitely half back,” McVee said.

“Hopefully Jordan Clark and I can link up, and we go from there.

“I think it’s where I play my best footy, but maybe in the future I can go up the ground.

“But as of yet, it’s half back for me next year.”

McVee will hope to make his Dockers debut when Freo play the Cats in a Round 1 clash in Geelong on March 14.

Photo: Fremantle FC