Lyon tells Mayne to deliver
Fremantle coach Ross Lyon has urged out-of-sorts forward Chris Mayne to "get going and deliver" as he tries to patch up a forward line without Michael Walters and Hayden Ballantyne in tomorrow night's Len Hall game against North Melbourne at Patersons Stadium.
Lyon also confirmed he had spoken to his players about the need for more discipline after Ballantyne became the fourth Docker in the AFL and WAFL to be suspended this year.
Mayne, 25, a star of Fremantle's 2013 campaign, has battled back, groin and ankle problems this season and has kicked just one goal in four matches, averaging less than 10 possessions a game.
The vibrant forward kicked 37 goals to be a valuable foil to Matthew Pavlich, Walters and Ballantyne in 2013.
Lyon said he should have substituted Mayne and not Matt Taberner in last weekend's loss to Sydney. Mayne finished the game with 10 possessions and played part of the second half in defence after struggling to have an impact in attack.
"I wouldn't have thought he was underdone," Lyon said.
"He just didn't deliver. Obviously coming off the injury - there was a bit of conjecture over what it was but I think it was an ankle in the end. He just needs to get going and deliver."
Provided he is fit, Mayne is likely to retain his place against the Kangaroos, Lyon indicating he was leaning towards making one forced change to last week's team - replacing Ballantyne.
Garrick Ibbotson, Tom Sheridan, Hayden Crozier and Alex Silvagni are leading the list of contenders.
With a rematch looming against North veteran Brent Harvey - the centre of pinching allegations against Ryan Crowley last year - Lyon is keen to ensure the club's tribunal issues don't worsen.
But he claimed some confusion with tribunal rulings this year, pointedly mentioning Nat Fyfe's two-match ban for a head clash with Gold Coast's Michael Rischitelli.
"I have clearly made mention of it publicly and privately," Lyon said of the need to be more disciplined.
"But it does get a bit confusing - different gradings, low impact, high impact. The concern is that you can bump to the head but if you don't injure someone you are OK. It clearly needs to be tidied up more.
"We really respect and admire Hayden but he knows that he has stuffed up on this one and we need him back.
"It is not ideal and I have spoken to the group. You can't have your best players in the grandstand but sometimes you have little runs of it."
Lyon was confident his team was as hungry as it was last year and would find its best form and consistency despite a mixed start to the season which has the Dockers 3-2 with a tough draw in the next month.
He said there was a fine line between success and failure.
"It has just been a little bit inconsistent," Lyon said of his team's start. "I think when you lose everything looks a little bit off. Hawthorn could easily be 3-2. Essendon could have beaten them, really, they had every opportunity.
"We are 3-2, we have played some really difficult opposition and we have difficult opposition this week and in the ensuing weeks. We need to find our best form and our consistency."
"I wouldn't have thought he was underdone. He just didn't deliver.""Fremantle coach *Ross Lyon *on Chris Mayne
