Prized recruit Jesse Hogan has been given a thumbs up for his first AFL appearance at Fremantle by coach Ross Lyon.
The ex-Melbourne forward was solid without being spectacular as the Dockers fell to a narrow 7.19 (61) to 8.10 (58) loss to the Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium on Sunday.
Hogan was barred from selection in the Dockers’ round one win over North Melbourne with the club saying his return was unknown due to anxiety issues.
Named to play against the Suns as a replacement for Hayden Ballantyne (hamstring), Hogan picked up 21 disposals in a quietly efficient performance.
Lyon said after the match he was happy with the 24-year-old’s display.
“I thought he was very good. He’ll only get better,” the Dockers coach said.
“He really worked into it. His ability to go midfield really helped us and gave us a lift in there.”
Lyon said pre-match Hogan would most likely not have played against the Suns if Ballantyne had been fit in a show of faith to the 22 players who demolished the Kangaroos by 82 points.
It’s likely the power forward will remain in the line-up for next weekend’s home clash with unbeaten St Kilda, but Lyon said those decisions would come after a review of the Suns defeat.
“We’ll go away, we’ll assess it, we’ll review it. We’ll do a sharp review,” he said.
“I thought we were well led, I thought we never gave up.”