Fremantle have lost dual Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe to a hamstring injury in a bitter blow ahead of Sunday’s AFL derby against West Coast.
In further bad news, key defender Griffin Logue (turf toe) and top-10 draft pick Hayden Young (syndesmosis) will be out of action for extended periods after suffering injuries in the Dockers’ win over St Kilda last week.
Fyfe missed round five with a right hamstring injury and returned to play an important role with 18 disposals and a goal against the Saints.
Fremantle football manager Peter Bell said the captain got through that game with “100 per cent” strength in the hamstring, but pulled up sore during Tuesday’s training run.
“We sent him off for a scan and the scan indicated that he has a small strain to his right hamstring in a different area to the previous one,” Bell said.
“Unfortunately he’ll miss this week – the derby – and potentially a few more games after that.
“Nat will get stuck into his rehabilitation and hopefully we’ll see him in a few weeks.”
The Dockers will also be without 2020 regulars Logue and Young for their first appearance at Optus Stadium for the season.
Logue has endured multiple serious injuries since being taken at pick No.8 in the 2016 draft.
Young was selected with pick No.7 last year and has shown promising early signs.
Neither of them will play again until at least the latter stages of this season.
Bell said Sean Darcy is still in contention for a ruck showdown with Nic Naitanui in the derby despite being concussed last week by a high bump that saw St Kilda’s Ben Long banned for three matches.
“All signs are really positive for Sean,” Bell said.
“He’s passed all of the tests that we’ve asked him to complete.
“He has to get through a full week of training symptom-free – and we won’t be taking any risks at all – for him to play this weekend.”
Fremantle will attempt to overturn a horror recent record against arch-rivals West Coast, having lost the last nine consecutive derby meetings.