FREMANTLE fans would not have enjoyed seeing its team not score a goal after the 12-minute mark of the third quarter during a 36-point NAB Challenge loss to North Melbourne at Subiaco Oval, but would have been in the return of Peter Bell.

Fremantle looked the goods for two and a half quarters when it never surrendered the advantage on the scoreboard, but after half-time things went to water. Heath Black was reported for using abusive language to the umpire in his return from a hip operation and the Kangaroos piled on the goals.

That disappointed Harvey, but he knows Matthew Pavlich, Dean Solomon, Des Headland, Jeff Farmer, Michael Johnson, David Mundy, Luke McPharlin and Aaron Sandilands will return and make the world of difference.

"It is no cause for panic because we played nearly our whole list that doesn’t normally play and you find out about it. By doing that, you find out where players need to improve," he said.

"We had as many as 10 likely starters out and what we will try to do next week is try to settle a side somewhere close to that which will play Collingwood in round one."

Without Pavlich, the forward-line struggled to function coherently, in the second half particularly. That does not overly concern Harvey, although he would have liked to see Ryan Murphy and Adam Campbell step up.

"Tarrant was down there and working with Murphy, Campbell and (Chris) Mayne at times, but we just didn’t seem to have any penetration or precise kicking going in there," he said.

"Headland, Solomon and Farmer can go back there to be options, and Belly will spend time there. Our forward structure fell down, but it's not necessarily a problem."

Bell will play this season while living in Geraldton. He played just over half the game against his former side in his first game of 2008 and finished with 16 touches. His coach knows how important he can be to the side, both on the ball and as a crumbing forward.

"Whenever you play your first game you need it, but you could see the smarts Peter has when he gets the ball and it straightens up the side with his direction and ball use," Harvey said.

"He even got tagged early in the game, so that shows how dangerous the opposition think he is. Peter is a great crumber as well, which is another one of his strengths that he brings to the team and I will use him forward sometimes this year."