Home

Ross Lyon won’t give up on veteran Fremantle Dockers duo Aaron Sandilands and Hayden Ballantyne

Bridget LacyThe West Australian
VideoRoss Lyon talks Connor Blakely's fitness and David Mundy's 300th on 7NEWS.

Fremantle coach Ross Lyon has backed veteran pair Aaron Sandilands and Hayden Ballantyne to play again this year as they battle repeated soft tissue injuries.

Speaking ahead of durable champion David Mundy’s 300-game milestone against the Western Bulldogs on Saturday night, Lyon defended the club’s strength and conditioning staff as they struggle to get Sandilands, 36, Ballantyne, 31, and Stephen Hill, 28, on the park.

“I have no level of frustration,” Lyon said. “There is disappointment for the player.

It’s not too late to sign up for tipping and Pick 7 fantasy! There’s great weekly cash prizes and the automatic chance to win a Mazda BT-50... Register to play The Game tipping and fantasy today!

Get in front of tomorrow's news for FREE

Journalism for the curious Australian across politics, business, culture and opinion.

READ NOW

“I know that our conditioners are elite. Three-quarter time against St Kilda, (Nat) Fyfe is knocked out, Brad Hill has got a cork, they’re as good a running team in the competition and we outrun them and work them.

“We got to GWS, three-quarter time, great running team, we run and work really hard.

The Game AFL 2024

“I look around the league and there’s older players with injuries, I mean Shaun Burgoyne, you just look around.”

Sandilands has been TBA with a calf injury on the club’s website all year, while Ballantyne copped a fresh hamstring injury at Peel last weekend after a hamstring in round one while playing for Fremantle.

“Aaron is a unique AFL player and he’s had some challenges,” Lyon said. “And Hayden, statistically, once you have a hamstring you are 20-30 per cent more likely to do a hamstring. They just sit in statistical categories.

“I’m not an expert in the area so I’m sure they’ll condition them and we’ll see them both play again this year.”

SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts | Android | Spotify | RSS

Lyon also weighed in on whether Optus Stadium’s surface is too firm.

He said they’d had concerns in the past but conceded there were “lots of threads” when it came to causes of injuries.

“Certainly we suffered some injuries (last year), plantar fascia, not too dissimilar, a couple of similar incidents,” Lyon said.

“So I understand the frustration. Fortunately this year we’ve had a good run with it and we hope that run continues.”

Lyon paid tribute to Mundy as he prepares to become just the second WA-based player to 300 games after Matthew Pavlich.

“The only attribute he hasn’t got is a premiership medal around his neck,” he said. “He’s experienced everything else.

“For me it’s been a privilege to work with David. He’s a special person. It’s very hard to do what he’s done.”

Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox.

Sign up for our emails