Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir has outlined the role star recruit Shai Bolton will likely play in purple amid "a lot of competition for spots" at Cockburn this year.
Bolton is set to fill a list need under Longmuir as the Dockers hope to get the most out of the two-time premiership ex-Tiger, who can damage the opposition across the front two thirds of the field.
The Dockers see Bolton as a forward-starting option who will rotate through midfielders and alleviate the club's top line of ball winners while offering spark and agility in the engine room.
"He comes in as a ready-made star of the comp, even though we feel like he can get better," Longmuir told 6PR Perth.
"We think he adds flexibility to our game. He's been able to kick a lot of goals and impact the scoreboard but also is able to have good influence at times in the midfield.
"It's something we probably haven't got a lot of. We've got midfielders who can go forward, but we probably haven't got forwards who can go mid. He gives us that.
"His approach to pre-season has been great. He's emptied the tank every time he's gone out there."
Longmuir sees competition for spots at an all-time high thanks to the depth of his squad, with the Dockers coach stating there are no certainties at selection.
With a deep-batting midfield ensemble, Longmuir knows players worthy of a starting spot are likely to miss out on opportunities in the top flight.
"We've got a lot of competition for spots, which is pushing the intensity of our training and match sim to a new level," he said.
"Simplistically, we're not (going to be able to fit all of our midfielders everyone in). We're not going to fit all of our half-backs in either, and there's going to be some half-forwards who are going to be disappointed they're not getting a game.
"Hopefully we've got that competition for spots all year. Even if we do get injuries, we feel we've got depth in most areas of the ground to be able to replace that.
"Hopefully it's going to be tough for selection come Round 1."
Among those facing competition for senior spots is veteran pair Nat Fyfe and Michael Walters, who are both recovering from recent knee surgeries.
Longmuir said the duo will be "behind the eight ball" when it comes to selection given their interrupted pre-seasons, however both are in the frame to feature in the club's upcoming match action.
Walters is ahead of Fyfe in his rehabilitation and is in line to enter training following the club's current four-day break, while Fyfe will be back running as early as the coming week.
Longmuir flagged both players are expected to hold down similar roles to what they worked through in 2024.
Fremantle's first match of the pre-season will take place at Optus Stadium on Saturday, February 15 against the Indigenous All Stars before a meeting with Melbourne in Mandurah in early March.
The Dockers' season proper commences with a clash against Geelong at GMHBA Stadium on Saturday, March 15.