Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir has opened the door for Nat Fyfe to return to his customary midfield function because the under-fire Dockers try to repair their woes within the clinches.
The membership’s finals hopes are already on skinny ice after opening the AFL season with 4 defeats of their first six matches.
Fyfe has been grounded by a plantar fasciitis damage since tallying simply 0.1 from 9 possessions within the round-one loss to St Kilda, and he will certainly miss Saturday’s conflict with Brisbane on the Gabba.
But if the two-time Brownlow medallist is ready to full a heavy coaching load this weekend, he might return for subsequent week’s dwelling encounter with Hawthorn.
Fyfe, who educated away from the principle group in sneakers on Wednesday, had been slated to play the whole season as a ahead.
But with the Dockers crying out for a big-bodied ball-winner to assist with important clearances and hard-ball will get, Longmuir will take into account sending Fyfe again to the coalface when the 31-year-old is prepared.
“It’s always been in our thinking,” Longmuir mentioned.
“It’s always been (the plan to) get him embedded in his forward role, we’ll get him comfortable down there and confident down there, and then we can expand his role.
“He’s clearance participant. He had a little bit of a sore foot in spherical one, when he performed his solely recreation of the yr. So we have not been in a position to discover that.
“But we’ll put him where he can play to his best.”
The management of recent captain Alex Pearce has been extensively panned since his error-laden efficiency towards the Bulldogs final week.
Pearce’s try to bodily intimidate former Docker Rory Lobb earlier than the opening bounce was additionally closely criticised.
Longmuir felt the flak aimed toward Pearce was unfair.
“He’s leading really well,” Longmuir mentioned. “Players really respect and admire him. (The criticism) is over the line.
“When you lose, you get criticised no matter you do.
“There were isolated incidents on the weekend where Lobb came under some attention, some instigated by Lobby as well.
“So you need us to combat again or not? It’s simply a type of issues. When you lose, you get criticised left, proper and centre.”
Fremantle will be without Michael Frederick (adductor) against the in-form Lions, but Sam Switkowski and Heath Chapman are strong chances to return from calf injuries.
Longmuir said he retained faith in his side, despite the shaky start.
“We cannot get caught up in making statements and urgent panic buttons and get caught up in what critics are saying,” he mentioned.
“I’m not going to throw the child out with the bathtub water. I’m not going to panic.
“We’ll stick to the course and see if we can get more weight of numbers executing their roles.”
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
