FREMANTLE defender Roger Hayden has leapt to the defence of besieged teammate Jeff Farmer after the forward came under fire for yet another on-field misdemeanour.

Farmer, who is out of contract at season's end, gave away a needless off-the-ball free kick and 50m penalty during an important stage of Fremantle's seven-point loss to Richmond last Saturday.

The 31-year-old was initially penalised for pushing his knee against Shane Edwards' head and was then slapped with a 50m penalty for mouthing off at the umpire, gifting the Tigers a goal that swung momentum Richmond's way.

The incident was assessed by the AFL match review panel but no charge was laid.

Hayden defended the incident, saying it had been blown out of proportion because Farmer was the man involved.

"I had a look at it and it didn't look like much," Hayden said.

"I think it (the scrutiny) is just because it's Jeff Farmer.

"He does something small and it gets magnified. You get that sort of thing."

Five Dockers have already announced their retirement this season and Hayden said it was vital to retain a man of Farmer's experience.

"You need players at a club to guide the younger guys," Hayden said.

"Jeff's been around for awhile and played in big games, grand finals, and some of the younger guys look up to him.

"The way he's been playing the last few weeks, given the role around the midfield and creating for our team, has been a positive."

The 248-game veteran has endured a rather forgettable season, booting just 20 goals in 19 matches.