Fremantle football boss Peter Bell has addressed wingman Liam Henry's ongoing contract standstill, amid speculation the speedster won't be donning a Dockers guernsey next season.
Henry, a Western Australian native, isn't contracted at Fremantle beyond this year, as he is yet to recommit to the club that drafted him ninth overall at the 2019 National Draft.
Speaking onย SEN WA on Tuesday, Bell began on the topic of Henry by outlining the improvements the slick mover has made in his game.
"He's progressed really well, he's worked really hard on his game," Bell started. "He's an elite runner, he's really running the wing patterns well, little bursts forward as well, we know we can rely on his work rate.
"He's still working through making the right decisions with [the] ball in hand, but we think he's really improved in that area, and he's worked really hard. Overall, we've been really pleased with how he's progressing."
Regarding Henry's contract deadlock, however, Bell seemed less assured, noting the later it gets in the season, the more chance the young Docker sees his footballing future elsewhere.
"The fact that he's out of contract and it's coming up to very late in the season means that we have to contemplate that [Henry] might see his future elsewhere," Bell continued.
"But, we're continuing to work really hard and hopefully we can convince Liam [that] Liam sees his future being at Fremantle."
Fremantle has dropped six of its last seven games to near-ensure the club won't be playing finals football this year after a promising 2022 campaign, with the Dockers' disappointing form potentially playing a role in Henry's indecision.
Fremantle travels to play Geelong at GMHBA Stadium this Saturday afternoon.
