Heath Black dropped by Dockers - Sports News - Fanatics - the world's biggest events

Heath Black dropped by Dockers

By Justin Chadwick 26/06/2008 04:17:00 PM Comments (0)

Fremantle's Heath Black has joined troubled AFL forward Jeff Farmer in the doghouse after the pair were banished to the WAFL for missing a compulsory training session.

The pair will line up for South Fremantle Bulldogs this weekend after Farmer missed a recovery session in Melbourne following Friday night's loss to St Kilda and Black failed to attend a training session at a later date.

It has been reported that Farmer was at Melbourne's Showgirls nightclub with teammate Antoni Grover until the early hours of Saturday morning.

Farmer was omitted from the Fremantle side set to play Essendon on Sunday at the recommendation of the club's leadership group.

The 31-year-old, who is in the final year of his contract, was publicly put on notice three weeks ago by coach Mark Harvey and told that a contract extension would depend on his performances in the second half of the season.

Farmer's manager Anthony Van Der Wielen said he was confident his client's latest misdemeanour wouldn't affect his chances of a contract extension.

"The club's comments to me were that this doesn't change anything, we are still on track to sit down at the end of the year and we'll re-assess it then," Van Der Wielen said.

"They've made it clear he will be eligible for selection after this week.

"Jeff obviously needs to keep his form in a good spot and keep his behaviour at a good level."

In a written statement, the club said : "Jeffs one-year contract will be reviewed at the end of the year, which has always been the club's intention."

Black, 29, is contracted until the end of 2009 but is facing increasing pressure to prove his value in an ageing Dockers squad, which has posted just two wins this season.

Fremantle assistant coach Peter German had a simple message for the pair - if you do the crime, you do the time.

"Everyone is expected to do the right thing. One thing about football clubs is that everyone has got to toe the line," German told Racing Radio.

"If you do the crime, you have got to do the time and that is consistent for Fremantle football club from now until eternity."

It is not the first time Harvey has been forced to clamp down on his erratic player group.

Last year, Harvey dumped Steven Dodd, Grover, Des Headland and Brett Peake for the club's round-22 clash against Port Adelaide after the quartet took part in a mid-week boozing session.

Paul Hasleby and Dean Solomon were also axed for the game after the former missed a recovery session and the latter arrived late.

And it is not the first time Farmer has found himself in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.

Just last year the 242-game veteran received a six-game club-imposed suspension for punching a bouncer outside a Perth nightclub.

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