Swans step up pursuit of Harley Bennell
Sydney have stepped up their pursuit of the injury-prone star Harley Bennell, with several Swans leaders contacting Bennell's former teammates for character references.
The Age has been told by sources close to the former Gold Coast and Fremantle playmaker that senior Swans – under the advisement of coach John Longmire – have phoned former teammates of Bennell to inquire about his professionalism.
Sydney believe they have the medical team to get Bennell, who has been plagued by calf injuries in particular, fit again and one of their final lines of investigation has been around his off-field behaviour.
Bennell's career was thrown into jeopardy when he was linked to alleged drug use after photos that had been taken in 2013, and sold to News Corp in 2015, emerged of him in a room with lines of white powder.
In 2017, Fremantle fined him $10,000 and ordered he undergo counselling after his odd behaviour at a WAFL game.
Earlier that year, Bennell had also been kicked off a Gold Coast-bound flight before it departed because he was intoxicated.
And in January 2018, he was ordered by Fremantle to train away from the club for two months and fined $15,000 with $5000 suspended following an altercation at a nightclub that involved an "excessive amount of alcohol".
But people close to Bennell, who has recently become a father, believe he is nowa model citizen.
After glowing endorsements from several people, the Swans are moving closer to a deal that would see Bennell on Sydney's list in 2020.
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