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THE STORM around Harley Bennell continues to overshadow Fremantle's on-field resurgence, with coach Ross Lyon again peppered with questions about the troubled star's strange behaviour at a WAFL match.
For the fourth day in a row on Wednesday, Lyon faced queries about Bennell's unsteady appearance at Peel Thunder's game at the weekend when the injured midfielder interrupted the three-quarter time huddle and pulled cousin Traye aside.
The incident came a month after the 24-year-old was asked to leave a flight to the Gold Coast for being intoxicated.
Fremantle's investigation into Bennell's behaviour has seen him hit with a $10,000 fine – half of it suspended for 12 months – and ordered to undergo expert counseling to deal with personal issues stemming from his latest demoralising calf setback.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Lyon wouldn't be drawn on the details of Bennell's appearance at the Thunder's match, including whether the ex-Sun was intoxicated.
"I think it's a moot point, because we've dealt with it and moved on," Lyon said.
"Clearly there was some behaviour there that we didn't view as appropriate, but that's between Harley and ourselves.
"Everyone can make their own assertions from what they saw."
Bennell is yet to debut for Fremantle due to persistent calf issues since he was traded from Gold Coast at the end of 2015 on a three-year deal.
The damaging midfielder was closing in on a WAFL comeback last month before another setback ruled him out for two months.
Lyon has challenged Bennell to "reboot" and the Dockers have mapped out a new plan for his playing return in five weeks.
"He ran yesterday. He'll be running every second day. He's in the gym as we speak working out," Lyon said.
"He's on a program that will see him play in that five-week period."
On the field, the Dockers are flying with five wins from six games ahead of a home clash with Carlton on Sunday.
Fremantle could also be boosted by the returns of gun midfielder Stephen Hill and goalsneak Hayden Ballantyne from hamstring injuries.
Both players strode out at training on Wednesday, but Lyon declared neither was a certainty to face the Blues.
However, feisty small forward Brady Grey is a "really good" chance to be available after hurting his shoulder late in the after-the-siren win over Richmond.
"It would take a Sherman tank to stop him, I would think," Lyon said.
Ed Langdon had strapping on his knee and looked proppy as he ran laps and kicked with an assistant coach away from the main group at training.
There was no sign of first-year onballer Harley Balic after he missed the Tigers clash due to illness.
While the resurgent Dockers are back in the finals mix and only percentage outside the top eight, Lyon sees plenty of room for improvement and has challenged his side to put together four-quarter performances.
"Maybe it's reflective of a young group, a number of players under 30 games – it's been averaging around eight or 10 of those guys (in the team each week)," he said.
"We'd like not to use birth certificates as an excuse, we'd like to build on our mental toughness and produce four quarters."
