Welcome Harley Bennell (To make long awaited Dockers Debut!)

[Okinakashi]

It's funny. I saw HB out on the town not long after he moved over to Perth.

I saw him walk into the bar and straight away thought he was blind drunk. He looked "wobbly" and "loose".

Oh dear - what have we done here...

As is was a small bar, I kept an eye on him and he only drank water all night. Even later in the night he looked "wobbly". So I guessed that he just moves like that.

Long story short. I've seen him out and he looked plastered, but it appears it's his natural state.

Things are never as good or as bad as they seem.

 

[Clems Knee]

What a light weight

Most professional footballers struggle to hold their liquor. Because they don't drink as much regularly, and because they have a low percentage of body fat.
Whereas your average "non lightweight" drinks more regularly and is a fat bastard.

 

[Ressies runner]

Most professional footballers struggle to hold their liquor. Because they don't drink as much regularly, and because they have a low percentage of body fat.
Whereas your average "non lightweight" drinks more regularly and is a fat bastard.

Ouch you didn't have to call me fat

 

[Nothing]

So drinking alcohol while on a rehab program is acceptable? That's just fantastic. Being a professional athlete and getting paid big $$$ you should know better. Yes by all means after the season but while in rehab,having to not yet play a game due to injury isn't the right way to go about it. Especially with the media spot light is on you it's just silly to do those types of things. Even if it isn't that big.that's why everyone is talking about it. It's a headline for a reason and doesn't make it look a good thing for the club.

He was on approved leave, which may mean that he was allowed to have alcohol. I have seen Pav drinking (a red wine with Lauren) a night before a game (years ago). I'm sure the club give some leniency, whether Bennell had that leniency I don't know. But the club statement says "We are disappointed that Harley consumed alcohol to the extent that airline staff felt he was unfit to take the flight." Not that they were disappointed he drunk during his rehab.

I think best case senario is he had 3-4 beers and maybe a pill or 2 too many and looked a bit dopey. Those sort of drugs have never really affected me that much but can really knock some people over.

I also wonder if it was a middle aged white guy wearing a suit whether he would have been just let on.

I think there's a chance that it could only be a drink or two. I've seen heavy drinkers have a glass of red wine with a sleeping tablet and they couldn't hold themselves up on a wall.
As the club statement says, it's disappointing that he is in this situation, whatever the mix of alcohol and drugs.

 

[Big Animal]

I struggled to hold my liquor after most Freo games last season

 

[youmewe]

It's funny. I saw HB out on the town not long after he moved over to Perth.
....
Things are never as good or as bad as they seem.

Aaaaaaarrrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Superkoops]

The club's recruiters (We let the highest rated key position forward in the draft go because we wanted Hamling and Kersten to come across, the methodology at our club is out of whack.)

He has certainly gone hard early. Out of interest who was the highest rated KPF he referred to? Surely not Todd Marshall who was picked at 16.

What we ended up missing out on is a highly rated midfielder (ie. Taranto, McLuggage, Ainsworth or SPS). The recruiters seemed very pleased to be able to get KPD Logue who has already swung forward in each of his games.

 

[Superkoops]

I'm sure Freo were aware of the sleeping pills. Also agree that it is storm in a tea cup, and RTB has given a verbal reprimand of sorts. Not a great look that he was intoxicated so soon after a calf aggravation in his rehab.

What we don't know is whether he only had a few drinks and the sleeping pills worsened his state. I know it is only a movie but that Comedy Bridemaids had a scene on a flight where the actress combined a glass of wine with sleeping pills of some sort and was completely off her face. Pretty common knowledge and HB should have known better. Damo on the footy show loves this S*#T, but for me probably makes the whole event a silly mistake from HB and more of a non-event.

Time to move on.

 

[yoong]

I can't listen to the triple m audio and I'll admit I'm struggling to understand the problem here. Can someone help?

So the flight crew saw Bennell had a few beers and assumed he was taking drugs? Or is sleeping pills with alcohol a commonly known way to get high (I'm really ignorant of such matters)? Or was he rowdy and causing others distress? Lying there looking wasted?

I get it that he have a bad reputation. But it didn't sound like an offense that people will bat an eyelid if it's someone else?

 

[freoextra]

What we can be assured off is that a team of journalists have been smashing Virgin and the Gold Coast for a story (anything) to hang him on.

The fact that they have found nothing, nada, zilch is comforting in itself.

 

[E Shed]

Imagine if he drove a car drunk resulting in the club losing one of its major sponsors?
Would be still be a great bloke like Hodgey?

 

[G Mus]

Imagine if he drove a car drunk resulting in the club losing one of its major sponsors?
Would be still be a great bloke like Hodgey?

Only if he wiped out half a street like impey or buddy

 

[Clems Knee]

Pav for AA has been a troll since forever and has had more usernames than cousins has breached AVOs

Looks like you were right. Poster has been banned (again).

 

[scon]

Imagine if he drove a car drunk resulting in the club losing one of its major sponsors?
Would be still be a great bloke like Hodgey?

Another good bloke who just trots out the club's 'sorry statement' and it's instantly back to light and love:
Joel Selwood speeding,
Speed Kills while being asked to leave a flight is unlikely to.
I believe this sort of hypocritical media behaviour and 'vendetta journalism' can be traced back to 1995.

 

[Cayman Docker]

From the news:

Lyon reiterated his support for Harley Bennell, saying the issue of his banishment from a plane last week because he was drunk was dealt with six days ago. It was not his role to punish Bennell.

“This isn’t a life-or-death situation. This is a calf that we will get right,” Lyon said.

 

[scon]

Unlikely we'll get any further information as the incident is so minor it's been dismissed by all bar the odd AFL incident vampire who is hoping to smell blood but can't.It's been hearsay since the first club statement and nothing's changed.
Regardless of whether he felt aggrieved or wrongly identified he cooperated,complied with the request and got off the bird.
End of,the club may do nothing more.
Only sure thing on this discussion is that other than the facts acknowledged in the club's statement, we're guessing.
Which is exactly what you said tants '....there's a chance...' and surely no-one would be stupid enough to dispute that!

 

[Dirty_banchez]

Carnthedockers

I disagree. Bennell might be a thoroughbred with talent but until he can get on the park..he is useless for us.

 

[Superkoops]

Carnthedockers

I disagree. Bennell might be a thoroughbred with talent but until he can get on the park..he is useless for us.

This is unfortunately true and him being intoxicated whilst in the midst of rehab regardless of club endorsed leave to quote RTB "isn't ideal". We've had no return from HB and looking quite a way off yet still.

 

[ting tong]

... seems like as good a time as any to weigh in...

Superkoops said it well... as much as all this is about if HB did/didn't do wrong... all that matters as fans and members, is that he has given us f#$% all and its frustrating for everyone, none the least HB himself.

It's like at the supermarket when you think you see that sweet ice cream deal in the freezer aisle but... when you get a bit closer, its actually a discount frozen peas deal and you had the angles all wrong. You feel so angry you could just smash the whole cabinet up...

 

[Righteo]

Temporary thread bans for ydraw and tants for turning this thread into a total s**t show. If you have an issue with a certain poster, or simply can't handle their opinions, then ignore them and don't engage with them. Getting into a squabble and issuing threats is the worst route to go on, for everyone.

This is not your personal battlefield guys. If we could all move and continue posting as adults that'd be ******* fantastic.

 

[Righteo]

... seems like as good a time as any to weigh in...

It's like at the supermarket when you think you see that sweet ice cream deal in the freezer aisle but... when you get a bit closer, its actually a discount frozen peas deal and you had the angles all wrong. You feel so angry you could just smash the whole cabinet up...

Ha, quality analogy

 

[IAMJUNGLEMUFFIN]

“At some stage he’s also decided to mix a sleeping drug or sleeping drugs with that alcohol consumption,” Barrett said.

“That was the reason that airline staff felt compelled to remove him or ask him to be removed from that flight from Melbourne to the Gold Coast.”

S L E E P I N G P I L L S !!!!

Mixing sleeping pills with alcohol is risky as *.

 

[IAMJUNGLEMUFFIN]

It's funny. I saw HB out on the town not long after he moved over to Perth.

I saw him walk into the bar and straight away thought he was blind drunk. He looked "wobbly" and "loose".

Oh dear - what have we done here...

As is was a small bar, I kept an eye on him and he only drank water all night. Even later in the night he looked "wobbly". So I guessed that he just moves like that.

Long story short. I've seen him out and he looked plastered, but it appears it's his natural state.

Things are never as good or as bad as they seem.

Never been to a dance party/festival?

 

[wayToGo_]

It's like at the supermarket when you think you see that sweet ice cream deal in the freezer aisle but... when you get a bit closer, its actually a discount frozen peas deal and you had the angles all wrong. You feel so angry you could just smash the whole cabinet up...

Um... Anger Management classes? Or perhaps take a breath and try the frozen yoghurt section instead?

(ie it has been disappointing but still having Fyfe, the Hills, Walters, Neale, Crozier, McCarthy, Weller, Langdon etc to choose from to watch out on the field means it isn't the end of the world)

 

[Kapow!!!]

Most professional footballers struggle to hold their liquor. Because they don't drink as much regularly, and because they have a low percentage of body fat.
Whereas your average "non lightweight" drinks more regularly and is a fat bastard.

As a professional fat bastard who drinks regularly, I endorse this statement.