TonyK
Tash Jayasinghe
CibbuanoBell urged to play on
July 3rd 2008 02:35
FREMANTLE president Rick Hart and coach Mark Harvey want former skipper Peter Bell to play on next season.
Bell was on the verge of retiring at the end of last season but was convinced to play in 2008 on the proviso he could commute from Geraldton to Perth each week.
The 32-year-old, who called an end to that arrangement in May, has missed just one match this season and is averaging almost 22 possessions a game.
Hart said the club would love to have Bell continue on into a 15th season.
“I think he's enjoying his footy very much at the moment and I would think if Peter Bell wants to go on that would be his decision,'' Hart told Perth radio.
“If he decides that he's got another year or whatever in footy then the Fremantle footy club would love to have him.''
Harvey said Bell's current form warranted a contract extension.
“The fact he's come back to Perth - he's really got a lot of freedom about him,'' Harvey told Channel Seven.
“Mentally it looks like he's refreshed.
“I spoke to another club we played a couple of weeks ago and they said how effective Peter Bell was and how they really saw him as a guy that they were really concerned with throughout the course of the game.''
Harvey also didn't rule out recruiting former West Coast captain Ben Cousins if the 2005 Brownlow medallist opted to nominate for this year's draft.
“I really hope Ben does come back and play the game he loves - whether we are a part of it or not remains to be seen,'' Harvey said.
“We will be guided by what happens in the next two or three months with his football.''
Meanwhile, Hart ruled out a major overhaul of the playing list despite the club's 2-12 win-loss record.
“I think we've really got something to build on. It's not as if we're in a devastating situation and got to completely rebuild,'' Hart said.
“We've got the nucleus still there and with the addition of some really good youth players, I think we'll still be around the place.''
Hart said a replacement for outgoing chief executive Cameron Schwab was unlikely to be named by the end of July.
Bell was on the verge of retiring at the end of last season but was convinced to play in 2008 on the proviso he could commute from Geraldton to Perth each week.
The 32-year-old, who called an end to that arrangement in May, has missed just one match this season and is averaging almost 22 possessions a game.
Hart said the club would love to have Bell continue on into a 15th season.
“I think he's enjoying his footy very much at the moment and I would think if Peter Bell wants to go on that would be his decision,'' Hart told Perth radio.
“If he decides that he's got another year or whatever in footy then the Fremantle footy club would love to have him.''
Harvey said Bell's current form warranted a contract extension.
“The fact he's come back to Perth - he's really got a lot of freedom about him,'' Harvey told Channel Seven.
“Mentally it looks like he's refreshed.
“I spoke to another club we played a couple of weeks ago and they said how effective Peter Bell was and how they really saw him as a guy that they were really concerned with throughout the course of the game.''
Harvey also didn't rule out recruiting former West Coast captain Ben Cousins if the 2005 Brownlow medallist opted to nominate for this year's draft.
“I really hope Ben does come back and play the game he loves - whether we are a part of it or not remains to be seen,'' Harvey said.
“We will be guided by what happens in the next two or three months with his football.''
Meanwhile, Hart ruled out a major overhaul of the playing list despite the club's 2-12 win-loss record.
“I think we've really got something to build on. It's not as if we're in a devastating situation and got to completely rebuild,'' Hart said.
“We've got the nucleus still there and with the addition of some really good youth players, I think we'll still be around the place.''
Hart said a replacement for outgoing chief executive Cameron Schwab was unlikely to be named by the end of July.
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