Justin Longmuir has provided an injury update on a star Docker's injury after the side's mature 16-point win over the Western Bulldogs came at a cost.
Ruckman Luke Jackson left the ground in the third quarter with what appeared to be a hamstring concern, while Nathan O'Driscoll and Corey Wagner were also sidelined for a portion of the game with respective ankle and calf injuries.
O'Driscoll hobbled from the field after rolling his ankle late in the third term too, and did not return in the final quarter, while Corey Wagner was subbed off due to calf awareness, leaving the Dockers two men short heading into the final quarter.
"We think 'Wags' maybe tweaked his calf, the one he missed last week with, and O'Driscoll rolled his ankle and he couldn't go," Longmuir said.
"We'll see how they pull up."
Fortunately for Fremantle, they held off a surging Bulldogs outfit, with draftee Murphy Reid sealing the game with a stoppage-causing pressure act and goal from said throw-in.
In another positive, Lomgmuir said the Fremantle medical staff believed Jackson's strain was minor, confident that the star will not be sidelined for a long period, although the club are still waiting on the results of scans confirming the injury's exact extent.
"We think it's low grade, so like all these things we'll get a scan but it's not significant," Longmuir said.
"You might have seen him trying to test it at three-quarter time, that's an indicator that it's not significant.
"But you lose one of the best players in the team, it's obviously disappointing.
"He had nine score involvements, he was competing his backside off. And he's been one of our better players consistently across the first four games, so he's going to leave a hole."
Longmuir also commented on the selection status of two recovering Dockers who returned through the WAFL on the weekend, with ruckman Sean Darcy and midfielder Hayden Young making their first appearances in 2025.
Young collected 19 disposals and scored three goals against Claremont, while Darcy recorded 19 hitouts and 12 touches for the game.
Longmuir praised Darcy's game and said it was highly likely the injury-plagued tall returns next week after a knee surgery interrupted his start to the season.
"Let's face it, he's one of the best rucks in the comp. I think he gets lost a bit... he's been a top three ruck in the comp for a fair few years now," Longmuir said.
"Last year, we were a better team with him in the team, so he'll give us a lot.
"...I thought he played well yesterday. He wasn't playing against a slouch in the ruck for Claremont, he was a good player, and I thought he was able to run out the game pretty well.
"He won't be playing 90 minutes in the ruck like he can when he's fully fit, but we'll see what sort of minutes he's up for, if he's up for AFL selection.
"Sometimes my plans and everyone else's plans are different, but I would like them straight back in, and given we've got a few injuries that's maybe the way we'll have to go."
Fremantle play Richmond in Gather Round next week, with their star inclusions hopefully offsetting their injury-depleted stocks after Round 4.
Richmond will be weighing up their own significant selections this week too, with Noah Balta's suspension coming to an end and Josh Smillie making a successful return to action in the VFL.
