Fremantle Dockers News

After plenty of thought, Zac Clarke signs a contract extension that will see him stay a Docker until the end of 2015.

"The way the team is going, and the coaches and playing group we have, it really wasn't a tough decision," Clarke said.

"To get to play another two years under Ross and with the boys, I'm stoked."

Jack Hannath has thrived on ruck opportunities at Fremantle in his first year at the club due to the Dockers' depleted ruck stocks and credits Aaron Sandilands for his development.

"He's been a big help. Obviously you look at him with his credentials and his list of accomplishments - he's obviously someone who's a handy person to have to be able to pick their brains," Hannath said of Sandilands.

"He's been great to me. Even when I was playing WAFL and then when I got in the senior team, advice and going through vision with him has been good."

Michael Walters receives new contract after impressive early-season form that will keep him at the club until the end of 2016.

Scans reveal that Michael Walters will miss a month of football with an ankle sprain.

Michael Walters is taken from the ground after injuring his ankle against Sydney and is expected to be sidelined pending scans.

"I said, 'If you're not right mate, you do too much right for us - I'm not going to run you into the ground'," Lyon said about Walters taking no further part in the game.

"We were pretty keen to look after him and take no risk. He is really important to us."

With Fremantle's ruck stocks diminished, Zac Clarke is rushed back into the side despite being underdone due to a calf injury.

"He's done an enormous amount of training," Fremantle coach Ross Lyon said.

"We know he's a gifted runner. We know he can handle up around 90 per cent (of game time), so that will be the aim.

"If it doesn't work we can always sub him out and bring on a runner."

Collingwood star Heath Shaw may come under video scrutiny for an 'off the ball' incident involving Docker Hayden Ballantyne.

The umpire's microphone picked up Ballantyne saying "he punched me in the nuts''.

Jon Griffin will miss the rest of the season after tearing his ACL against Collingwood at Patersons Stadium.

"Jon's been in great form and it's bitterly disappointing," Fremantle general manager of football operations Chris Bond said.

"But knowing his character and professionalism, Jon will be doing everything that's required through his rehabilitation phase to be back playing footy next season."

Luke McPharlin breaks the trend of players and coaches being confused about the new marking rules by saying he has a clear understanding of them instead.

"I feel I've got a good grasp, or understanding, of the rule," McPharlin said.

"That idea of the full extension of the arms, you don't want to be pushing opponents out of the way.

"So it's really just about standing your ground and trying to fight for a position really and protecting the ball drop."

Ross Lyon says Michael Walters has turned his career around through dedication and hard work.

"All of the decisions and choices he's starting to make away from the club are disciplined hard choices," Lyon said.

"He embraces discipline rather than indulging himself. Clearly for a period as a young person he was indulging. He's harnessing talent with hard work."

Nathan Fyfe is banned for two matches on a kicking charge. Fyfe's attempt to get the charge downgraded from intentional to reckless was unsuccessful.

Kepler Bradley suffers a suspected ruptured ACL after hyper-extending his knee whilst having a shot for goal halfway through the second quarter against Richmond in round 5.

"Kepler has done an ACL. We're pretty confident," Fremantle coach Ross Lyon said post-match.

"As you'd imagine, he's not over the moon about it. An ACL in footy isn't ideal, but we'll support Kepler and rehabilitate him."

Richmond coach Damien Hardwick fumes after believing that his side was robbed of a late goal in the Tigers' one-point loss to Fremantle.

Matt White's 23rd-minute shot on goal in the last term appeared likely to either bounce through or hit the post.

Instead, it crashed into the legs of the goal umpire and back into play. Fremantle's Stephen Hill picked the ball up and walked it through for a rushed behind, reducing the home side's lead to one point.

"I know it went through for a goal," Hardwick said.

"It crossed the line. Have you see the replay? Maybe we should have called a review, you would have thought. No? Seriously, in a tight game? Joke.

"There is a system in place. Use it, or don't bother."

Zac Dawson credits coach Ross Lyon with saving his AFL career after managing just 14 games in five season at Hawthorn.

"Obviously he kind of got me off the scrap heap at St Kilda," Dawson said.

"I could say 'I could've done it without him' but I probably couldn't have, because he's obviously seen something in me and we have a pretty good relationship and that's something you've got to try and hold on to when you get into this caper."

Fremantle shows faith in Michael Johnson, re-signing the defender on a two-year deal, tying him to the Dockers until the end of 2015.

Matthew Pavlich will have achilles tendon surgery and is set to miss four to six weeks.

"It got to the point where he wasn't comfortable with it and neither were we," Fremantle coach Ross Lyon said.

"I just said 'look you've done so much for this club over a long period. We really don't want to put you in a position where you're vulnerable and the team is vulnerable'. So post then we went and sat down and spoke about the procedure and what's required and he'll get it done."

Bombers Paddy Ryder and Nick Kommer accept bans for rough conduct against Fremantle and will miss three and two matches respectively.

Ryder's bump, in particular, resulted in Docker Luke McPharlin being concussed and subbed out of the match.

After being diagnosed with heart irregularity, Jayden Pitt remains optimistic he can still play AFL football.

"After receiving the initial diagnosis from a specialist in Perth, I consulted a Melbourne cardiologist and have subsequently worked through both opinions with my family," Pitt said.

"At this stage, I'm working closely with the doctors, my family and the club to determine where we go from here.

"With that level of support, I'm remaining upbeat and continue to have a positive outlook as far as playing football goes."

Chris Mayne urges teammate Hayden Ballantyne to remain aggressive despite Ballantyne's poor disciplinary record.

Mayne says Ballantyne's latest transgression was a result of the small forward trying to protect Nathan Fyfe from a tagger.

"We believe Hayden plays his best footy when he comes close to the edge," Mayne said.

"We're 22 brothers out there looking after each other, and he's definitely one that always cares about his mates."

Hayden Ballantyne accepts a one-match suspension for an off-the-ball hit on West Coast's Scott Selwood.

Aaron Sandilands is expected to miss eight to twelve weeks after undergoing surgery on his left hamstring.

"We think it's more likely eight weeks [on the sidelines] unless they got in there and it was something different to what they were thinking, but that is highly unlikely so it's really at the minor end," Dockers coach Ross Lyon said.

"[There's] been a lot of doomsayers out there saying it is the end of his career … this is quite minor and he'll be able to condition really well and play a huge part for us."

Aaron Sandilands will head to Melbourne to consult a specialist after suffering a setback with his troublesome left hamstring.

"Once Aaron has been assessed by the specialist and we have his medical report, we will be in a position to comment further on the preferred course of action," Fremantle football operations manager Chris Bond said.

Fremantle secure bookends Zac Dawson and Chris Mayne with contract extensions that will keep them at the Dockers until 2015 and 2016 respectively.

"Both players are very important components of our structure," Frementle general manager of player management Brad Lloyd said.

"Chris had an excellent 2012 playing as a forward, and Zac was part of a solid defensive group that really grew as a unit last year."

Aaron Sandilands is making a quicker than expected recovery from a torn hamstring and is expected back in the side by round two.

"He'd been running PB's, he was in really good shape and he was light, so unfortunately [he suffered] a little bit of hamstring but he'll be available round two," coach Ross Lyon said.

"I've got great confidence in our strength and conditioning staff to prepare a great program."

Anthony Morabito says he is still confident of forging a successful AFL career after undergoing a hybrid form of LARS surgery for his ruptured ACL.

"We went for a hybrid graft, which incorporates the LARS with part of your own hamstring tendon,'' Morabito said.

"So the aim of that is to get the short turnaround of the LARS, but also have the longevity of a hamstring graft over time.

"It seemed like the logical answer, just because it did give you that long-term effect if all goes to plan.

"I would not have wanted to go down the pure LARS path, just for the fact that I would have felt like I was trying to salvage something out of nothing.''

Matthew Pavlich returns to the Fremantle side for their NAB Cup match against the Western Bulldogs following the birth of his daughter Harper Rose.

After becoming a prominent part of Fremantle's midfield as an outside player, Clancee Pearce says he is working on his inside game to become a more complete player.

"Last year I built my tank up a little bit and the midfield role came about. I loved that challenge and the challenge this year is to play more of an inside mid role," Pearce said.

"There's a whole bunch of blokes vying for that spot, so I'm trying to get that down pat as well as my outside game."

After back, hip and Achilles tendon surgery during the off-season, Matthew Pavlich will delay his return to football in the NAB Cup to welcome the arrival of his first child.

"We're really respectful of people's families and wives and the support that needs to be given there," Fremantle coach Ross Lyon said.

"I think the game's evolved a lot. Fathers didn't used to go to the birth, did they? So how tragic did that used to be. We've all moved a little bit forward from those days fortunately."

Zac Dawson says that, at 27 years of age, he still feels like a young player.

"I only started playing genuine AFL footy probably four years ago when I first got to St Kilda, so it only feels like I've been playing proper AFL for four years," Dawson said.

"To be 27 and feel like that, I feel good."

Aaron Sandilands suffers a partial tear to his hamstring tendon during Fremantle's NAB Cup clash against Geelong and will miss eight weeks due to the injury.

"It's certainly unfortunate that Aaron will be out for an extended period of time, but we have great confidence in our structures and players to be able to fill the role,'' Fremantle football operations manager Chris Bond said.

Steve Johnson will miss the Cats' round 1 clash with Hawthorn after accepting a one-match ban for striking Hayden Ballantyne during Geelong's NAB Cup match against Fremantle.

Steve Johnson may be under scrutiny by the Match Review Panel after landing a blow to Docker Hayden Ballantyne's midriff during the Cats' clash with Fremantle in the NAB Cup, leaving the small Docker forward hunched over in apparent pain.

"I didn't really see what happened. I know he (Ballantyne) was down for a long time, but I was more concerned with how quickly he got up and set up the next goal," Geelong coach Chris Scott said.

"He didn't look too bad, did he?"

Chris Mayne is back in Fremantle's leadership group for 2013 after being left out in 2012.

"We've seen Chris mature as a person and a footballer over the past couple of years, and clearly … the players saw that he has improved in some areas of leadership, and because of his actions he's been voted back in," Fremantle captain Matthew Pavlich said.

After a post-season shoulder clean up, Stephen Hill is set to feature in the club's opening NAB Cup matches.

"I had a bit of a clean-up with my shoulder, just to get it right, but everything went well and I'm training fully now," Hill said.

Star midfielder Nathan Fyfe has added weight to his frame following shoulder surgery.

"This year is a little bit about getting to know what it's like playing at 89kg and if I need a little bit more next year then I can always go up," he said.

"I don't want to be too heavy so I lose that run. At the moment I'm pretty comfortable with it. The jump hasn't been that significant that it's noticeable.

"Hopefully I'll be able to stand up in packs a little bit better this year."

Anthony Morabito is in good spirits after successful LARS knee surgery.

"We heard directly from Anthony after his surgery today and from all reports it went very well," Fremantle's football manager Chris Bond said.

"He is in really good spirits and looking forward to getting started with his recovery."

Despite three operations, Matthew Pavlich has set his sights on playing in the NAB Cup.

"They've probably got the tight hold of me at this stage, just being extra cautious with the three operations," Pavlich said.

"I'm pleased to be out on the track running with the rehab guys and I'll probably be in that group for another three to four weeks before I really get into some solid football drills and some more match simulation stuff.

"My plan is to definitely play at least one NAB Cup game. That's certainly been the plan all along and the physios and docs believe I'm a little bit ahead of schedule."

Anthony Morabito will undergo LARS surgery on his injured left knee.

"Anthony really just needed some time and space to weigh up his surgery options," Fremantle general manager of football operations Chris Bond said.

"After discussions with people close to him and the football club, Anthony has decided that this surgery will give him the best chance to resume his playing career."

Anthony Morabito is reported to be considering calling an end to his football career after enduring another ACL ligament tear.

"He is coming to grips whether he wants to go on or give it away," a source close to Morabito said.

"He's changing his mind on a daily basis. After two years of rehab, he doesn't know if he wants to do another year of it."

Anthony Morabito will assess his surgery options next week after taking a break from the club following another devastating knee injury.

"A bit of space is what he's wanted, so we're respectful of that," teammate Luke McPharlin said.

"At this point in time all we're thinking about is his wellbeing really. Football is really secondary.

"(St Kilda coach) Ross (Lyon) is pretty strong on let's just step back and consider a young 21-year-old man going through a pretty difficult phase and we need to consider his feelings and be respectful of them."

Luckless midfielder Anthony Morabito injures his knee at training and will require a third knee reconstruction at just 21 years of age.

Scans confirmed that Morabito had torn the graft on his repaired left anterior cruciate ligament and would require another reconstruction.

"Understandably, Anthony is devastated at the moment and the club will be working extremely closely with him and his family," Fremantle football operations manager Chris Bond said.

Ryan Crowley has torn his pectoral muscle and will miss six weeks of pre-season training.

Jack Hannath was in the middle of TIO Stadium training in Darwin with Melbourne when he was told he was heading to Fremantle after being selected in the NAB AFL Pre-Season draft.

"It's all a bit surreal at the moment…just…yeah…don't really know at the moment. Just trying to get my thoughts together," Hannath said.

"It's disappointing in one respect and exciting in another but that excitement will just take a little time to come."

Western Bulldogs pick up former Fremantle Docker Nick Lower as a free agent.

"I'm really over the moon. I couldn't be happier," Lower said.

"I really was pretty unsure with what would happen in the future, but I couldn't be happier to have landed at the Western Bulldogs."

Hayden Ballantyne says he plans to be more disciplined on the field after being suspended for three games in 2012 due to off-the-ball hits to Geelong's Paul Chapman and Richmond's Chris Newman.

"Missing games of footy is disappointing no matter what it's for, whether it's injury or suspension," Ballantyne said.

"But that's something I can help. [If I'm] not doing silly things like that I'll be on the park for every game next year."

The Western Bulldogs have signed former Power and Fremantle midfielder Nick Lower.

"I really was pretty unsure with what would happen in the future, but I couldn't be happier to have landed at the Western Bulldogs," Lower said.

"Second chances don't come around often and third chances are even a slimmer chance.

"It's been a bit of a difficult period after getting delisted over the last couple of weeks … but I'm really excited."

Aaron Sandilands has returned to training with a clean slate after eight weeks spent strengthening his troubled feet.

"Having no injuries over the break I've been able to keep the running loads up and the body's feeling really good at the moment," Sandilands said.

"It was a good chance over the break to get a fair bit of strength in my feet, so I've been doing that sort of work.

"Both feet are back to normal and I'm 100 per cent confident in both of them."

Having David Mundy fit for the pre-season has given a spark to a Fremantle team with high hopes for next year.

"Having David out there is a big boost for the group," teammate Ryan Crowley said.

"Just seeing how good his second half of the year was once he got fit, I think a fit David Mundy is a pretty scary proposition … it's good to have him out there."

St Kilda confirms it will sign ex-Fremantle defender Dylan Roberton in the next free agency window.

Delisted Fremantle onballer Nick Lower has chosen to train with the Western Bulldogs rather than his former club.

"I know as well as anyone the way things can go up or down, so I wish him all the best," teammate and reigning club champion Ryan Crowley said.

"He's a great competitor and a hard worker, so hopefully he impresses down at the Bulldogs and gets a chance.

"Me and Nick are pretty close so I was disappointed to see him go, but that's footy."

Melbourne forward Matthew Bate is hoping to resurrect his career at the Western Bulldogs after being granted permission to train with them along with former Fremantle defender Nick Lower.

Fremantle recruit Tanner Smith is a key position player with elite endurance.

"I think being a 196cm player, that [endurance] is definitely a positive," Smith said.

"It's hard to find for a tall player like myself and hopefully I can use that against opponents.

"As a junior I was more of a tall player for my age, so I played a little bit in the ruck and at centre half-forward as well.

"This year I played a little bit more forward at the end of the year, but I've played most of my footy as a key back."

Fremantle recruit Josh Simpson says he is excited at the prospect of playing for the Dockers.

"I've supported Fremantle all my life, so right now I'm living a childhood dream," Simpson said.

"We just couldn't go past his talent, his run, his ball-use," Freo's player development manager Brad Lloyd said.

"He's the type of player that his talent comes out pretty quick - he's a very noticeable player. So he produced plenty of special moments over the last couple of years that caught our eye.

"Now it's up to him. He gets an opportunity to use the tools he's got and make an impact."

Matthew Pavlich faces a delayed start to pre-season training after undergoing a minor hospital procedure on his back.

"At this stage we envisage that it will have little impact on Matthew's pre-season training and expect him to be right to play during the NAB Cup," Fremantle football manager Chris Bond said.

Freos' Tendai Mzungu is still a month away from full training while recovering from a wrist injury but is building his endurance in the interim.

"At the moment I'm just trying to get a bit of strength back in it so I can start marking the ball," Mzungu said.

"The best thing is I can still run so fitness shouldn't be an issue, it's just getting the strength back in it."

Fremantle veteran Adam McPhee announces his retirement, saying it was not feasible for him, his wife Bree and children to remain in WA.

"Bree and I and our two boys are really close to our families in Melbourne and, while I don't regret any moment of my time at Freo, we have found it difficult at times being apart from the rest of the family," McPhee said in a statement.

"I knew the difficulties they experienced when I travelled and was frequently away for two or three days at a time.

"I knew, in the background, that wasn't exactly what Bree and I wanted.

"I felt I had to make the decision to retire and return home, regardless of whether I was fit enough to play one or two more seasons of football or not."

Former Fremantle player Dylan Roberton has joined pre-season training at St Kilda.

Fremantle's back stocks are set to thin further with Adam McPhee expected to quit the AFL after being reported to have sold his home in Perth in anticipation of a move to Melbourne.

Delisted pair Nick Lower and Jesse Crichton will continue to train with Freo in a bid to join the club's rookie list.

Utility Dylan Roberton has also been cut after turning down a new contract to return to Victoria for family reasons.

Fremantle's Dylan Roberton and Jack Anthony will be sweating on their futures ahead of Thursday's list lodgment deadline when Fremantle will have to delist a further three players.

Brett Kirk says his new role as an assistant coach at Fremantle may be stepping stone to what could lead to a senior coaching job.

"Ross Lyon sees the game better than nearly anyone I've been involved with, so he's going to be a great mentor (and) I'm going to learn a lot," Kirk said.

"I have a huge amount of respect for the man. We have a lot of similar philosophies about footy, about basics and effort, discipline and resilience … they're the things I based my game on."

Fremantle football manager Chris Bond says Jack Anthony is a required player, but the former Pie's future is still up in the air.

"From our point of view, Jack's contracted for 2013 and we'll wait for Jack to get back from holidays," Bond said.

"We'll sit down with Jack when he gets back from holidays. We'll sit down and we'll just be transparent with Jack and he will be with us and we'll see where it's at."

Fremantle defender Greg Broughton has moved to Gold Coast in exchange for the Suns' pick No. 37.

Port Adelaide pulls out of the race for Fremantle defender Greg Broughton after hefty contract demands.

Adam McPhee looks certain to finish his career with Fremantle after agreeing to a new one-year contract with the club.

Port Adelaide express interest in Greg Broughton to shore up its defence following the departure of Troy Chaplin to Richmond.

Fremantle midfielder Ryan Crowley has capped a stunning revival by taking out his first club champion award with 146 votes.

"My career at Fremantle was almost definitely over," an emotional Crowley said.

"The club was looking for a trade and if not it was 50-50 at that point.

"Ross (Lyon) came in and we had a pretty frank and honest discussion about where I was at and he gave me great confidence.

"He told me if you do the work and get your body right, I know there's a place for you … I can't speak highly enough of Ross and everything he's done."

Chris Mayne was second with 142 votes.

Fremantle defender Luke McPharlin has signed a two-year contract extension with the club.

"Luke had an outstanding season this year," Freo's general manager of player management Brad Lloyd said.

"We are delighted that he's signed on for the next two seasons. He's a highly respected member of the playing group and integral to our hopes of achieving sustained success."

Freo's Michael Walters has been rewarded for his impressive career turnaround with two-year contract extension.

"Michael's become an important player for the team and we look forward to a successful contribution from him again in 2013," Fremantle's general manager of player management Brad Lloyd said.

Fremantle trio Jay van Berlo, Gavin Roberts and Jordan Wilson-King have been delisted by the club.

Fremantle's Alex Silvagni will miss the opening of the 2013 season after pleading guilty to head-butting Adelaide forward Jared Petrenko during Fremantle's semi final against the Crows.

Fremantle skipper Matthew Pavlich and Hawthorn star Sam Mitchell were notables to miss selection for the 2012 All-Australian side.

"Individual awards aren't what I play footy for, it's about the team success," Pavlich said.

"I'm sure externally there might be some comments about it, but I'm just looking forward to having a break and getting ready for next year."

Fremantle captain Matthew Pavlich says he hasn't been invited to the All Australian ceremony, fueling speculation he has missed out.

Freo's Michael Johnson says Zac Dawson may not be popular with their supporters but has won over his teammates.

"I do feel sorry for players out there who cop it from the supporters and the public," Johnson said.

"But Zac's been great, he's taken it on the chin and he's just moved on. You can see on the weekend's performance he's stood up for the team and played his role.

"He's really strong in engaging with an opponent, and if he can get a fist in there, we'll get numbers down at the fall of the ball and stop their crumbers."

Despite solid form this season, Fremantle ruckman Jon Griffin is dropped from the side to face Geelong at the MCG in an elimination due to the prospect of rain.

"It is unfortunate for Jon, but we just think there's a chance of a shower, and it's a night game," Fremantle stoppages coach Mark Stone said.

"We don't want to get caught too big, so we've gone for a bit more mobility with our selections.

"We'll take a full squad just to cover off all bases just in case anything happens between here and the game."

After struggling with foot injuries throughout the year, Aaron Sandilands says he is back to his best at the most crucial time of the year.

"I've got a couple of plates in my boots that are going to stay there for good now, but other than that the feet are really good and I don't even think about it now," Sandilands said.

"I'm 100 per cent now with the feet, so touch wood nothing happens to them. I'm really confident in the way they're going."

Chris Mayne says Hayden Ballantyne has grown as a player this season.

"He learnt the hard way early on in the season what was expected of him and I think at the moment he's really playing great football," Mayne said.

"He's just matured as a footballer. He's become really great at the way he wants to play his football … putting his head of the football, chasing blokes, tackling. That's what we expect from him."

Jack Riewoldt secures his second Coleman Medal after kicking six goals against Port Adelaide in Richmond's final game for 2012 to take his season tally to 65, ahead of Fremantle's Matthew Pavlich and Geelong's Tom Hawkins, both on 62.

Luke McPharlin is unlikely to take part in Fremantle's finals campaign after suffering a right hamstring injury against Melbourne.

Former Sydney Swans co-captain Brett Kirk will join Fremantle's coaching ranks next season after spending 2012 as a commentator for Channel Seven.

"Football has always been a big part of who I am but I did need a mental break when I retired," Kirk said.

"Having two years away from the game allowed me to see footy from a different angle, but it did make me realise my strong desire to coach."

Veteran Fremantle defender Antoni Grover has announced he will retire at the end of the season.

"If I look back on my last contest in AFL football, I'll be sitting there with a smile on my face because I know I went 100 per cent," Grover said.

"I think back to my first game and the first contest I was in (against the Sydney Swans in 1999) … I started the same way."

After a massive off-season and impressive 2012, Freo's Ryan Crowley has accepted a new two-year deal.

"Ryan has had really solid season so far and we are very pleased that, on the back of that, he has committed to the club for a further two years," Fremantle general manager of player management Brad Lloyd said.

"He's a highly regarded member of the playing group and integral to our aim of achieving sustained success."

Luke McPharlin praises teammate Ryan Crowley on his shutdown efforts this year.

"He's been outstanding. He's done a lot of great jobs for us this year and it's an absolute credit to him, given where he was at 12 months ago," McPharlin said.

"The opportunity Ross (Lyon) has given him this year, he's really grabbed onto that and delivered the majority of the year. It's been excellent."

An AFL inquiry has cleared Fremantle of wrongdoing over the late inclusion of Aaron Sandilands in place of Jon Griffin against Richmond.

"Following consultation with the AFL Medical Commissioners the AFL is satisfied with the explanation provided and no further action will be taken," an AFL statement said.

The AFL has asked Fremantle to explain the late inclusion of Aaron Sandliand on Sunday and to justify the extent of Jon Griffin's injury such that he was unable to take his place in the side as selected.

Ross Lyon defends Aaron Sandilands' late inclusion after Damien Hardwick questions the move.

Sandilands was named as an emergency after not having played since round 11. He was then a late inclusion in the game against Richmond after Jon Griffin "tweaked his groin" in the final on-ground warm-up and was withdrawn 10 minutes before the opening bounce.

"Look, that's within the rules. Whether it's in the spirit of the game, I don't know. That's for you guys (media) to find out," Hardwick said.

"You prepare one way and then all of a sudden, something happens and you've got to start preparing another way."

Lyon challenged anyone to provide evidence of Griffin's injury not being genuine.

I'm on record here, this is bona fide and legitimate, and if anyone wants [to make] accusations outside of that they're well and truly out of line and want to be really careful," Lyon said.

"There is no ruse here. If anyone is calling us liars, they'd want to be really strong and have strong evidence."

Fremantle star Nathan Fyfe may miss another week after injuring his ankle on his suitcase before while handling the football in his hotel room before the Crows clash.

"It's just one of those freak accidents," Fremantle defender Matt de Boer said of Fyfe's injury.

"He's always got a footy in his hands and he was just getting his touch ready on game day and he just accidentally slipped on a suitcase or something.

Fremantle defender Greg Broughton to have surgery later this week on his right ring finger, ruling him out for the season.

On fire up forward, Fremantle skipper Matthew Pavlich says he may spend more time in the midfield during the rest of the season.

"Just because I've played forward for most of this year, it doesn't mean that I won't spend a bit more time in the midfield at times," Pavlich said.

"Depending on where the state of the game is at and what needs to be done at that particular time, I think it's important to be able to chop and change a bit … that balance is really important."

Fremantle coach Ross Lyon has sung the praises of returning midfielder Nat Fyfe who dominated in his return to AFL football with 18 possessions in the first half against Port Adelaide.

"The return of Nat Fyfe, who's just brilliant isn't he? Gee whiz, I wasn't sure what to expect, but give me a few more Nat Fyfes and I'll coach a bit better," Lyon said.

"He's such a good contested ball winner and a monster athlete."

Fremantle coach Ross Lyon has cautioned fans to be patient with midfielder Nat Fyfe's return from injury.

"He's been out for 12 weeks. He's certainly fit and raring to go, but we just want him to come in and play a role and reintroduce himself to the brutal business of AFL football," Lyon said.

"It's such a hard-edge competition that if you're off the pace a little bit, people in form can drift out of form pretty quickly.

"So I'm not expecting miracles off of him, but I certainly expect him to bring some ball-winning and midfield run and size to us."

Fremantle coach Ross Lyon has declared Nat Fyfe to be a certain starter for the side this week.

"He (Fyfe) was right to go last week in his mind, but we wanted to give him more work and make sure he really ticked all the boxes thoroughly," Lyon told radio 6PR.

"He'll play, that's how close he is."

Fremantle midfielder Nat Fyfe will have to prove his running ability is back to its best if he is to return against Port Adelaide.

"He had a much improved performance in our last training session, so that gave us a bit of an indicator," Fremantle coach Ross Lyon said.

"He'll need to deliver that again and again (this) week before he gets ticked off, so he's got a bit of work to do yet on proving that he can hit those thresholds."

Fremantle has been rocked by news that Anthony Morabito needs a second knee reconstruction.

"It is bitterly disappointing for Anthony, his family, the club and our members and supporters," football manager Chris Bond said.

"However, we see Anthony as having a long-term future with the club and remain confident that, with the appropriate recovery and rehabilitation program, he will return to senior football next year."

Michael Walters kicks 3.1 in his first game since round 3 last season after his AFL career was very nearly over when he turned up at pre-season training overweight.

"He wasn't living our values so he got sent back to the WAFL to train and he pulled the finger out and just got the job done," teammate Hayden Ballantyne said.

"He was filthy on himself. But that's the good thing - he knew he was to blame and he got to work and he's back playing now so that's a credit to him."

Adam McPhee has revealed his family will have a major say in whether he stays at Fremantle beyond 2012.

"I think I made the last decision to come over to Perth and that was in a way a little bit of a selfish decision for my football," McPhee said.

"But the next decision that I'll be making will be based on what my family wants to do, not necessarily where or what football I'm playing."

Exiled forward Michael Walters has earned a reprieve and is back in the Fremantle team.

"Sometimes you have to go to the bottom of the well and experience the bottom to bounce back up and really get a deeper understanding of what you want out of your life and your youth, because that book gets closed pretty quickly," Dockers coach Ross Lyon said.

"He's decided to grab his opportunity. But the aim is, regardless of what he's done now, it's about the next moment, next training session, next game."

Ross Lyon says Nat Fyfe is training the house down, but is still three weeks away from returning.

"Nat Fyfe is absolutely tearing the house down with work, but he'll be [returning in] round 18, if that," Lyon said.

Freo utility Kepler Bradley says he must make the most of his opportunities to play at AFL level after struggling with form and injuries recently.

"I haven't been back for about 12 weeks now, so to run out there and hear the crowd again, it's a big change to WAFL footy," he said.

"I love it. Whenever you get a chance to play AFL footy, you don't know when your last game's going to come, so I just cherish every moment I get.

"I got dropped for reasons so I've just been trying to get back and work on the things I was told to work on - play as a tall, lead at the footy and take marks, and if I don't mark the ball, try and bring it to ground and provide opportunities."

Fremantle midfielder David Mundy is confident of having a bigger influence on matches as the finals approach.

"I'm obviously not playing as well as I'd like to; I would like to have more impact on games," Mundy said.

"I feel that's probably coming and I'm starting to get back into the flow of it. I've never really missed a big chunk of pre-season before, so it's been a new experience and process for me. I'm working through it and feeling a lot better within games."

Young Fremantle midfielder Hayden Crozier is being treated for suspected glandular fever.

Freo defender Luke McPharlin is set to play his 200th game but says he was initially hesitant about pursuing an AFL career.

"I wasn't playing any footy at district level or state level, I was just playing for my high school and a few talent scouts had encouraged me to play a single colts game so that I could be eligible to nominate for the draft," McPharlin said.

"I only decided to play that game the night before, so they didn't have time to change the names in the record and I actually went under a different name: Clint Hopkins.

"I managed to kick eight and play pretty well, and I think a lot of the scouts around the country were pretty excited about Clint Hopkins and what he could do.

"But it turned out it wasn't him at all and from that, there was a bit of a story about 'was there some skulduggery going on'?"