Lyon labels Ballantyne undisciplined

Hayden Ballantyne's indiscretions have come back to bite Fremantle again, with coach Ross Lyon labelling him "undisciplined" after the league's serial pest was suspended for the fourth time in just over two seasons.

Lyon said the Dockers would accept penalties for two charges meted out by the match review panel that will rule Ballantyne out of Friday night's Len Hall tribute game against North Melbourne at Patersons Stadium.

The ban comes at a critical juncture of the season for Fremantle, who have lost two of their past three matches and are adjusting to life without injured forward Michael Walters.

Ballantyne was charged with striking and kneeing Sydney's Rhyce Shaw in separate incidents during the second term of Saturday's defeat at the SCG.

The incidents were both classed as low impact and body contact and would have individually resulted in only a reprimand with an early guilty plea. But the fact the points were added together under the league's guidelines meant the 26-year-old could not escape a one-game suspension.

Lyon said Ballantyne's actions were "disappointing".

"(It's) undisciplined," he told 6PR last night.

"It's cost Hayden and the team, so he sits in the Colin Sylvia basket."

Both acts were off the ball and followed Sylvia being suspended for three weeks over an incident in the WAFL.

Ballantyne has been suspended five times in his 90 matches.

The latest ban robs the Dockers of goal-scoring power against the Roos in a contest the fifth-placed Dockers need to win to keep in touch with the top four.

North Melbourne will most likely be without full-back Scott Thompson, who was offered a one-game ban for striking Collingwood's Travis Cloke.

The fallout from the Sydney loss came as first-round draft pick Josh Simpson and his manager Jason Dover prepared to meet Dockers officials today.

Simpson was a no-show at Perth Airport on Thursday after being named as the travelling emergency to face the Swans.

Fremantle indicated they wouldn't sack the midfielder despite Lyon saying Simpson had "dropped his bundle", but the club is expected to take some form of disciplinary action.

Sending Simpson to train exclusively with WAFL affiliate Peel Thunder is one option.

Lyon said Simpson was not a focus at the minute.

"There's a bit of water to flow under the bridge there," he said.