We'll fly the flag for Nat Fyfe: Lyon

Mar 29, 2017 - 5:34 AM Fremantle coach Ross Lyon has given his charges the green light to fly the flag in order to protect star skipper Nat Fyfe from getting roughed up.

Fyfe was on the receiving end of several bruising hits and tackles in last week's 42-point loss to Geelong.

In one incident, he was put down off the ball by Geelong big man Rhys Stanley.

Dockers players eventually got sick of seeing Fyfe cop a number of unfair hits, and they showed their frustrations by sparking a melee shortly before halftime.

Michael Walters and Cam McCarthy both copped fines from the match review panel over their involvement in the scuffle, but Lyon didn't seem to have any problems with it.

"What I will say is Fyfe was checked a lot off the ball," Lyon said on Wednesday.

"We're really keen to look after Nathan. I can guarantee we'll look after him.

"If the umpires don't look after him, we will. So that's on our agenda."

Lyon said Fyfe's star qualities meant it was inevitable he would be targeted by rival teams.

But he said his players would stick up for the Brownlow medallist if rival tactics went over the line.

"We're not playing Scotch. We're playing hard-nosed AFL teams," Lyon said ahead of Sunday's clash with the Power at Adelaide Oval.

"You're a good player, that's the business. It's the fiercest competition in Australia. There's nothing wrong with that. But you need to look after your own.

"I thought it was all good around the stoppages. Everyone gets checked.

"We ask our players to make sure Dangerfield - make it hard for him to move forward.

"But sometimes there's a line that's crossed. If we feel it's been crossed - I thought we flew the flag and looked after Nathan, and we'll continue to do that."

Meanwhile, Lyon is adamant Harley Bennell remains on track to play in the first half of the season despite the star midfielder needing more treatment on his troublesome calves.

Bennell was seen at Fremantle hospital on Tuesday, and Lyon later confirmed the 24-year-old had pulled up sore after an increase in his training loads.

"It's delayed onset muscle soreness. It won't delay his return at all," Lyon said.

"It's just some (injection) treatment he had - they can do it under ultrasound.

"To quantify it, his pre-season now is the equivalent of what Lee Spurr and Shane Kersten (have done).

"So that's starting to give you some context to the amount of work he's done and where he's at.

"So it's at the exciting stage for us."

Bennell missed all of last season with calf issues and he flew to Germany in December to receive treatment from soft tissue expert Dr Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfarht.

No definitive timeline has been set for Bennell's return, but Lyon says the former Gold Coast star is expected to join in at main training next week.

"He'll be playing in the not-too-distant future," Lyon said.

Source: AAP