Fyfe and Bennell to play catch up at Freo

New Fremantle Dockers captain David Mundy says this year’s pre-season has been a massive learning curve as the team focuses on improved ball movement and skills.

And he said that catching up would be a challenge for the star midfield pairing of Nat Fyfe and Harley Bennell.

Fyfe, the reigning Brownlow medallist, and Bennell, the Gold Coast recruit, are both sidelined with injuries and training away from the main group.

“It has been a real sharp learning curve for the playing group, but we’re seeing some really great benefit in that in training now and obviously it will be about training that up and applying that to opposition shortly,” Mundy said of the changes that a new team of assistant coaches, including David Hale, Anthony Rock and Brett Guerra, provided.

“We haven’t had much time, we don’t have much time until pre-season games and round 1.

“We’ve had a few inclusions in the coaching staff which has really altered how we are going, especially with the ball.

“But (Harley) and Nat will have had less time. It’s going to be a big focus for them, but obviously a pretty promising one.

“Obviously Harley, ball in hand, is a pretty promising prospect.”

Fyfe is overcoming the broken leg that he carried through last year’s preliminary final, while Bennell has a calf injury.

Mundy said that while the rehab players are shunned and kept away from the main group, Bennell had been a bright and bubbly character around the club since arriving at the Port.

“His training numbers coming back in are really positive, so I know he is giving it everything he has got to get back in the fold and once his body allows he will be fine,” Mundy said.

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