FREMANTLE pair Shaun McManus and Byron Schammer have hailed retiree Peter Bell as their greatest ever teammate after his shock announcement.

Both have voiced how much they'll miss the 286-game veteran, for his on-field exploits as well as his off-field character.

McManus thought Bell could play on next year, but knows their friendship will kick on beyond football.

"He is the best I've ever played with and over my whole journey; I've never seen anyone better than him," McManus said. "What sets him apart is his mental strength. He could overcome anything and still play well. He is one in a million.

"He would get heavily tagged, but still play unbelievably and do some amazing stuff. Whenever the game was in the balance, he could turn it in our direction and win it for us. He decided when to stand up and be counted and not many guys can do that."

Bell and McManus had played juniors together when they were both recruited by Fremantle for the 1995 season, but after Bell moved on, McManus found it tough seeing him star in two premierships with North Melbourne.

"We met at 15 and I knew how good he was early on," he said. "Playing against him was terrible. Just seeing how unstoppable he was and knowing he could have been in our team was tough.

"It was great having him come back, though, as he was a good friend and to we needed a genuine star in our team. As a leader he knew how to lead and talk to the players, but also knew to lead he had to perform and always did that."

McManus notes he has never seen a more professional footballer over his career, with courage in the face of adversity setting Bell apart.

"In the last two or three years, I've really appreciated how he can change a game and win it off his own boot," he said.

"Another amazing thing was in 2004 when he played through the whole season with osteitis pubis. Most guys can't play at all with it, but he did successfully despite not being able to train and won our best and fairest."

Bell has also been a strong advocate of Schammer, with the 23-year-old planning to do him proud in his absence.

"I've tried to model my game on his and will continue to use him as a mentor and someone that can help me continue to get better," Schammer said.

"We chat about football a fair bit and he thinks I'm one player that can step up without him there. I'm doing my very best to do that and hopefully I can put the form together to show him that I can.

"If I turn out half the footballer he has, I'll be very happy.

"He was just such a fantastic player and without doubt the best I've played with," he added. "He was always in and under, leading from the front and was the whole package.

"He's also such a joyful person and loves a joke, so he will be missed around the club."