Injured Fremantle forward Hayden Ballantyne told 6PR Breakfast the players were prepared for a slower start ‘we’ve got a lot of young players coming through and gelling together, players coming from other clubs who we’ve never played with before and it will take time to click, but once it does happen we’ll be hard to beat again’.

Recruit Harley Bennell has sustained another injury, this time a calf tear, which will see further delays for the former Gold Coast Suns player who is yet to run out for Fremantle.

Ballantyne told Steve and Baz Bennell’s latest injury will only delay his return to football by weeks ‘it’s not going to be a long time on the sidelines’.

‘He’s looking an absolute million dollars at the moment, I’ve never seen him looking that fit.’ Ballantyne said.

Hayden Ballantyne can be heard on 6PR Breakfast on Thursday mornings at 7.15.