FEISTY Fremantle small forward Hayden Ballantyne wants to continue his career for at least two more seasons and help the rebuilding Dockers become a force in the competition again. 

Ballantyne, who will notch game 150 this Sunday against Richmond, has been publicly endorsed by coach Ross Lyon to play on next season.

The 30-year-old explored a trade at the end of last season and is out of contract this year but is excited about being a part of Freo's future.

"Absolutely. I'm keen as mustard to get out there again next year and the year after and watch guys like Brennan Cox and Sean Darcy come through and become dominant players of the AFL, because they've got the potential," Ballantyne said. 

"Once they get the hardness about them, they're going to be superstars I'm sure. 

"I love playing footy. I want to play as long as I can. As long as the body's willing, my mind will always be willing to play footy. 

"Fingers crossed it (a contract extension) is going to happen soon." 

Ballantyne admitted he hasn't been hitting the scoreboard as much as he would like since his return from two hamstring setbacks – he has eight goals in as many games - but said the small forward role has changed in recent years.

The antagonistic Docker was All Australian in 2014 after booting 49 goals but his emphasis now is on chasing, blocking, tackling and shutting down opposition teams' rebound. 

"My form goalkicking-wise hasn't been the best (as) it has been in previous (years) but there's a lot of things outside of kicking goals that you guys (the media) don't see and don't appreciate that teams do," he said. 

"I know I haven't been kicking lots of goals and getting lots of 'possies' … the goals will come once we start moving the ball a bit better and get a bit more dominance up forward too. 

"The chase and tackle, that's what Ross really values from small forwards. Not letting the running defenders get out and dominate games off half-back. 

"If we can stop the half-backs running off and setting up and kicking goals, then we've done our job."

Ballantyne is starting to run out games better now but revealed he could "barely do a push-up" after his second game back against St Kilda. 

The 173cm goalsneak hoped injury-plagued star Harley Bennell would make his club debut against the Tigers, and expected a vastly-improved effort for the Dockers' last ever game at Domain Stadium after round 21's humiliating 104-point loss to Sydney. 

"The kids coming through, they're going to learn so much from that game," Ballantyne said. 

"They're going to learn what to do, what not to do in certain situations, when to tackle harder, when to go and really make a contest of it." 

Despite that flogging, Ballantyne was confident Freo's rebuild was on track and could envisage the Dockers returning to their glory years under Lyon. 

"The time between 2012 to 2015 is definitely a highlight (of my career). We were a feared team to play against," he said.

"We would go out there and play with a bit of a chip on our shoulder because we were a brutal team to play against.

"I hope we get back to playing that style in the near future."