Fremantle have decided against tearing up Harley Bennell’s AFL contract despite the troubled midfielder’s latest off-field indiscretion.
Bennell’s future was hanging by a thread after video emerged of him wrestling security staff on Sunday night at Fremantle’s club 189.
The 24-year-old was intoxicated and failed to turn up the next morning to training.
Given Bennell’s chequered history, he was facing the real prospect of being dumped.
But the Dockers have decided to give him another chance.
Fremantle released a statement on Tuesday afternoon, saying Bennell had been banished to WAFL club Peel Thunder for eight weeks as part of his punishment.
He has also been fined $15,000 ($5000 suspended), and ordered to undergo more counselling.
“Harley has not met our expected standards and also those of an elite AFL player,” Fremantle’s football operations manager Chris Bond said.
“In this instance, he consumed an excessive amount of alcohol the day before a training session.
“Whilst we have set an eight-week time frame for when Harley can return to the club and train with his teammates, ultimately that will be determined by Harley’s future actions, how he responds to the measures we have put in place and whether he can consistently meet and display the standards expected by the club and the playing group.”
Bennell has endured multiple injury problems amid off-field indiscretions since joining the Dockers two years ago from Gold Coast.
Midway through 2017, Fremantle ordered Bennell to undergo counselling and fined him $10,000 – half of which was suspended – after bizarre behaviour while watching a WAFL game.
Bennell twice interrupted the three-quarter time huddle of the Peel-Swan Districts match to speak to his cousin Traye Bennell.
The gifted midfielder was also kicked off a Gold Coast-bound flight in April before departure because he was intoxicated.
Bennell’s time at Gold Coast was also plagued by off-field controversies.
Before joining the Dockers, photos emerged of the then-Suns player allegedly using illicit drugs.
However, the Dockers were optimistic Bennell had turned the corner late last season when he made it back for two AFL games.
Bennell’s three-year deal runs out at the end of 2018.
Last season, coach Ross Lyon spoke about the need to understand just how hard Bennell’s injury setbacks had been, and how they had played a part in his off-field misdemeanours.
“It would be a terrible shame, wouldn’t it, to lose a young indigenous footballer in this country of this level of talent?” Lyon said.
“If anything, it’s been self-harm that Harley’s been involved with … it’s not great for Harley more than anyone else.”
TROUBLED TIMELINE OF HARLEY BENNELL:
* May 2015: dropped alongside Trent McKenzie and Brandon Matera for drinking alcohol after a game
* July: Photos taken in 2013 emerge of Bennell with a white powder, allegedly illicit drugs
* September: The Suns put Bennell up for trade after an incident with a nightclub bouncer after the season
* December 2016: Caught driving with a suspended licence; subsequently fined $400 and disqualified from driving for nine months
* April 2017: Bennell asked to leave a Gold Coast-bound flight because of intoxication
*May: Fined $10,000 – half suspended – by the Dockers and ordered to undergo counselling after bizarre behaviour while attending a Peel game
* January 2018: Involved in a fracas with security staff at club 189 in Fremantle. Misses training the next morning. The Dockers fine him $15,000 ($5000 suspended) and order him to train away from the club for eight weeks – also told to have more counselling
Pix
Guest
This young guy has been acting out for a long time, that is the effect - so find the cause. He needs the help of a psychologist, in private, to get to the underlying reason(s) for this behaviour, and to help him on his way. Nobody is a "throw away", get the guy a real break!
truetigerfan
Guest
I think Harley should stay with Don Freo and use his car.
Jon boy
Guest
That is a fair enough point...
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
Logically, no, it does not follow that because he was suspended it "has to be bad behaviour". I'd say it's a classic case where punishment is used to enforce group norms, without factoring in the context of what happened. Blakely accepting it in good grace, even though he didn't really agree with it, is a demonstration of his commitment to the team. The fact-free-feeling many people on the outside got from the headlines was that he skipped training to skive off. An example of all judgement no with actual observation of what happened.
Jon boy
Guest
Thanks for the reply- Blakeley's behaviour was not good,he was suspended so therefore it has to be bad behaviour,but we all agree it was on the lower end of the scale just a discipline offence from a young kid of great character who will learn from it and become a great player and club man.
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
Long draawn out stuff? Five or six sentences? Anyways read the last sentence of the post just above you faker (look for the question mark a few centimetres up).
Jon boy
Guest
'Have a go at a proper answer'.......What is your question ? Try and keep it short and simple not the big words and long drawn out stuff..... cheers.
Don Freo
Guest
You are a strange unit and a particularly dim one. The challenge is that you guys are quite ok to overlook others' shortcomings if they meet your approval while wanting to tar and feather kids you don't like. Your characterization of Harley would not meet the approval of any court.
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
Nice try at yet another soft dodge. Have a go at a proper answer.
Jon boy
Guest
I personally will guarantee that Connor Blakely will not do any silly things again. He is a model citizen.
Jon boy
Guest
This has become complete nonsense king hitting too long at a nightclub. The real issue is Harley's six year D and D problem, he was ordered months a go by the club to undergo counselling Stop pretending it is a one late night at a club and stop telling people they are a embarrassment when it is quite clear who is doing that...Unfortunately you will not except it ,but try and move on and forget it...
Don Freo
Guest
Stan Magro? So you're ok with footballers king-hitting other players behind play but not with someone who stays too long at a night club? Just as well your intolerance only applies to footballers and not your own values. What an embarrassment your attitude is to such an inclusive community as Fremantle the city and Freo the club.
Chris
Guest
Fremantle is a blue ribbon Aussie Rules region and no player can or should bring it into disrepute. If anybody at the AFL bothered to look at the wealth of talent generated by South and East there would greater respect for your beloved Dockers. I still hold fond memories of the great contributions of the Richardson brothers and Stan Magro. Those guys don't even get a look in on your teams of the century. That really says something....Besides, who can forget Mal Brown sorting out those dirty Blues at the AFL Carnival in 1972?
Don Freo
Guest
The inverted commas indicate the bits Blakely said.
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
lol Macca I think you've found another brother from another mother who tries on all the parlour tricks for dodging a decent logical argument. Jon boy, his silence was about the actual events, which cast him in a much better light than the reactionary headlines and social media flare-up. In other words, he "sucked it up", I thought you'd appreciate that sort of approach. Certainly be something they'd preach at country footy clubs. Also the point of my story was that it's easy to feel you've got the facts going by headlines and hot-takes in the media, mainstream, social or otherwise. They pander to the emotional, judgemental side of us. But the headlines are about clicks and sales, not about a balanced view. BTW, what do you see was his "bad behaviour" exactly?
Jon boy
Guest
First line you state ''excerpt from article discussing it with Blakely' Last line '' Blakely showed maturity beyond his years to maintain his silence' you are all over the shop. He was suspended,but you say he has done no wrong ! Why do you keep defending players bad behaviour .
George
Guest
Haha, I should know better. This guy is actually quite reliable source but this time he was for sure attempting a joke. On the other hand, some threads here are absolutely crazy, some people here would be ban on BigFooty.
Don Freo
Guest
George. You're talking about Big Footy and you wonder if it is true?
Don Freo
Guest
Supporting is what supporters do.
Dalgety Carrington
Roar Guru
Jon boy, here's an excerpt from an article discussing it with Blakely (I was aware of it because I am interested in Freo), with the link posted to it below: On the back of one of his career-best performances in Freo’s two-point loss to Geelong in round 14, Blakely was omitted. On the Wednesday leading into Freo’s round 15 clash with St Kilda, Blakely was given doctor’s approval to leave the club in the afternoon due to illness. That night he continued with his plans for Thursday’s off day – driving to his parents’ house in Bunbury. Blakely went for a surf at Yallingup on the Thursday, something that was cited as the reason for his omission by Fremantle’s leadership group. “The leadership group sat me down and had a discussion about whether surfing coming out of an illness was the ideal preparation for an AFL match,” Blakely said. The media latched onto the story – “Surf and Turfed” read the back page of the paper the following day. “I think people just read the headline and assumed that ‘he skipped training to go surfing,’ which was totally not true,” Blakely said. “I trained that day, I was sick during training and after it. I went home and missed out on the meetings that afternoon.” While Blakely accepted the leadership group’s decision, some of the media and public reaction around the omission was hard to take. Blakely showed maturity beyond his years to maintain his silence, instead using the incident as a motivator. https://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiH2JKq_tTYAhXFf7wKHX-yBSAQFggnMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fremantlefc.com.au%2Fnews%2F2017-09-07%2Fblakelys-surfing-lesson.mobileapp&usg=AOvVaw28RsBVRkttij7r5DqIZhzZ