Brad Hill to be tested after bye, Bennell not among injured

FREMANTLE is expecting reigning best-and-fairest Bradley Hill to push for selection following this week’s bye after an 11-match stint on the sidelines with “a very challenging knee injury”.

Meanwhile, Harley Bennell is missing from the Dockers’ injury list despite finishing last week’s WAFL match with a suspected wrist concern.

Hill has lifted his workload at training and will be tested ahead of Fremantle’s next game against Brisbane, with the view of serving a one-match club-imposed suspension at Peel Thunder.

“He’s going to do some work individually over the bye with coaches and progress his football as fast as we can,” High performance manager Jason Weber told the club’s website.

“(We) look forward to testing him just as we come back.

“Hopefully we’ll see him just after the bye.”

Bennell managed just over a half of football against South Fremantle on Saturday only two weeks after he took himself off with calf tightness.

The 25-year-old notched 14 disposals before hurting his wrist late in the second term.

He returned to the field early in the third term but left for the bench a short time later, his day done.

It’s unclear where Bennell stands heading into the bye, but his absence from the club’s medical report implies a positive recovery.

Alex Pearce remains at least two weeks away from returning to the fold after breaking his thumb against Adelaide.

In a boost for Fremantle’s defensive stocks, emerging backman Taylin Duman has pulled up from well from a concussion suffered in the WAFL on the weekend and should be available to face the Lions if called upon.

Duman has fully recovered from the freak back injury sustained when getting out his car ahead before Fremantle’s shock win over Adelaide a fortnight ago.

Meanwhile, luckless small forward Brady Grey has overcome a string of hamstring complaints and returned to full training.

It’s an important development for the 23-year-old, who has played just 17 games in four-and-a-half seasons and comes out of contract at the end of the year.

Should his body hold up, Grey is one of several players vying for the position of under-fire veteran Hayden Ballantyne.