Fremantle coach Ross Lyon has all-but conceded Harley Bennell won't be at Fremantle beyond this season but believes the injury-ravaged midfielder still has AFL-quality football left in him.
Lyon hopes another club will take a punt on the former Sun, with Fremantle and Bennell having exhausted their avenues to fix his troublesome calves.
Bennell was on the cusp of a Fremantle comeback before going down two weeks ago with a "significant" calf tear, which is likely to have ended his fourth year at Fremantle after two appearances in purple.
"It's unlikely he'll be with us next year – I think Harley knows that – but we're going to rehab him and we'll work through with his management, Col Young, who has really taken care of him," Lyon said.
"Hopefully, someone out there has got a solution, or a club, or a guru out there can get him right because he's a pretty special talent, because it's devastating he's lost to the game, to be honest."
Fremantle recruited Bennell at the end of 2015 hoping he could be a missing link in their push for a maiden flag.
The club explored numerous avenues to get the ultra-talented onballer fit again, including sending him to Germany for specialist treatment and engaging a ballet physiotherapist.
Bennell was back undergoing rehab during a session at Cottesloe Beach on Wednesday.
Lyon, who has been one of his staunch supporters, couldn't speak highly enough of the 26-year-old's commitment to relaunch his career in the face of adversity.
"We're all devastated for him. But he's a young man, I believe he's still got AFL footy in him, if he can get his body right," Lyon said.
"Unfortunately, with us, and all the threads we haven't been able to get it right. If he can get it right, he's still a top-flight AFL (player).
"We saw what he did at half power in the WAFL, unbelievable."
Fremantle has been hit hard by injuries recently, and have lost another big man to a foot complaint after Lloyd Meek went down with a fractured fifth metatarsal in the WAFL on Saturday.
Meek joins Alex Pearce (ankle) and Matt Taberner (foot) on the sidelines for the rest of the year, while Jesse Hogan (foot) and Shane Kersten (foot) are also out of action.
Lyon had wanted to train at Optus Stadium before Saturday night's RAC Derby 50, but Fremantle would continue to train at their Cockburn headquarters after Meek's setback.
"That just spooked us a little bit," he said.
