Fremantle captain Nat Fyfe is likely to battle the side effects of his dislocated shoulder through the remainder of the 2021 season, according to executive general manager of football Peter Bell.
It’s almost fitting that the two-time Brownlow Medallist will have to play through adversity in his 200th game, with Fyfe showing a level of courage throughout his career that has been unmatched in the AFL.
Bell said Fremantle were determined to honour their captain in the milestone game when taking on Hawthorn at UTAS Stadium on Saturday.
“I haven’t dislocated my shoulder in my career but I’m sure that in a very short turnaround there’s going to be some limited range of motion, there’s going to be a little bit of pain as well,” Bell told 6PR.
“Nat’s an incredibly tough athlete and he’ll cope with that as best as he possibly can.
“He’s pulled up reasonably well but is the shoulder itself 100 per cent? Well no, it’s not going to be.
“But it’s at a level where he feels he can perform... and we’re looking forward to him playing his 200th game.”
“His record speaks for itself, so we’re really hopeful and optimistic that we’ll commemorate that milestone with a really strong team performance.”
Bell said midfielder Stephen Hill could make his return via the WAFL for Peel this weekend providing he gets through main training and is permitted to play after arriving from Victoria.
“We’ve got a main training session tomorrow and then there will be a squad that will go down to Launceston and depending on the borders between Victoria and Western Australia, we’re hoping to send a contingent back to play for Peel this weekend,” Bell said.
“If Stephen is to get through main training, he will likely play for Peel this weekend.”
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