Fremantle coach Ross Lyon says goalsneak Hayden Ballantyne deserves to be an automatic inclusion for Sunday’s AFL clash with Melbourne at the MCG.

Ballantyne has missed the past two games with suspension after unleashing a high bump on Geelong’s Harry Taylor.

But any prospect of overlooking him for selection as further punishment was quashed by Lyon on Friday.

“We didn’t see it as an undisciplined act. It was a split-second decision,” Lyon said.

“He’s stacked such a high level of commitment and performance over a long period of time.

“And we liaised with our leaders, and really our whole player group, and they were unanimous he should play.”