Harley Bennell.

[Doc26]

Re: Harley Bennell.

It's sad to hear and read about Bennells recent struggles with injury and behaviour but I had a read of this thread that had very contrasting views on if Bennell was worth trading for. There was a significant push for him to be traded for but the concerns raised at the time still seem valid.

To me this discussion underlines that the process Dalrymple and J-Mac goes through to enure we get high quality types at our club is well worth it and if we miss a few talented but potentially troubled players along the way I can live with that.

How confident are people that he can come back and make a decent go of it?

If you can believe Ross Lyon, Bennell, like Deledio currently, he has been severely, and continues to be, hampered by his calf.

It's a bit chicken and egg for mine, with his constant calf issues playing a role in separating him from all that he knows / loves coupled with his lack of mental strength to give his body the best chance of repair.

If somewhere through this he can get his calf issues resolved, and then get on the park with some consistency he may still make it. The clock must be at about 5 mins. to midnight with him.

[Cyberdoggie]

Re: Harley Bennell.

I think he will be another Indigenous talent lost in the system.

Just my opinion but going from struggling at the gold coast to moving back to Perth, not sure
that would help him much either.

[Throughandthrough]

Re: Harley Bennell.

I think he will be another Indigenous talent lost in the system.

Just my opinion but going from struggling at the gold coast to moving back to Perth, not sure
that would help him much either.

Plenty of non indigenous players have had problems as well

[westdog54]

Re: Harley Bennell.

In hindsight, Hawthorn probably wish they didn't burn a 2nd round pick on him considering the current paucity of young talent on their list.

Wasn't he a 2nd round Rookie draft pick?

[Topdog]

Re: Harley Bennell.

Wasn't he a 2nd round Rookie draft pick?

nah it was about pick 36

[GVGjr]

Re: Harley Bennell.

Bennell is back in the new again for the wrong reasons

In short the article starts off with the following:

"TROUBLE-PLAGUED Docker Harley Bennell’s playing future is hanging by a thread after he failed to turn up to training, just hours after he was filmed being thrown out of a nightclub"

I've had another read of this thread and there was some very good discussion on if we should have tried to get him to the club.

Would anyone here still stick with him if you were in charge at Fremantle?
I get clubs need to be patient and supportive of players but at what point should they be allowed to say enough is enough?

Perhaps Fremantle have invested to much into Bennell to let him go but it must be disappointed that he can't keep himself out of trouble.

[Bornadog]

Re: Harley Bennell.

I was all for giving him a second chance at a new club, but obviously it hasn't worked out. Freo have given him two years to get his act together, I don't believe the BS about his calves.

So in answer to the above question - Freo should cut their losses.

[Bulldog Joe]

Re: Harley Bennell.

Freo have a real quandary as they have a large investment, but they need to make a judgement on the future value of the asset.

I am certainly happy he is not on our list.

[Mofra]

Re: Harley Bennell.

Colin Silvia rule - better off playing one list spot short than having him in their side

[Axe Man]

Re: Harley Bennell.

I don't know any particular details about Bennell's situation but I can't help wondering if WA was the worst place for him to go. Back hanging around with potential bad influences from his youth? No idea if that is part of the problem or whether he is just someone who would mess up where ever he is.

[Twodogs]

Re: Harley Bennell.

Freo have a real quandary as they have a large investment, but they need to make a judgement on the future value of the asset.

I am certainly happy he is not on our list.

Did the Stringer experience sway your thoughts one way or another? I'm certainly a lot less confident in our ability to turn problem behaviour around.

Colin Silvia rule - better off playing one list spot short than having him in their side

Yup. Better to have an empty house than a bad tenant.

[Bulldog Joe]

Re: Harley Bennell.

Did the Stringer experience sway your thoughts one way or another? I'm certainly a lot less confident in our ability to turn problem behaviour around.

I was always in the camp of Bennell being too high risk.

[GVGjr]

Re: Harley Bennell.

Bennell survives again.

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.


As talented as he is, I'm glad we didn't get sucked into chasing him.

[Twodogs]

Re: Harley Bennell.

I was always in the camp of Bennell being too high risk.

As talented as he is, I'm glad we didn't get sucked into chasing him.

I'm glad he's not on our list too. He's on self destruct.

[westdog54]

Re: Harley Bennell.

Freo have a real quandary as they have a large investment, but they need to make a judgement on the future value of the asset.

I am certainly happy he is not on our list.

There's a term in Economics relevant to this problem: Sunk costs.

It refers to what you have already spent/are required to spend on something being irrelevant to decisions about the future.

i.e. What you've already spent/invested on something should not be factored into whether you continue to spend/invest if you know its going to go nowhere.

Fremantle should forget about what they've already lost by taking Bennell on board. If he hasn't run out of chances now he never will.