Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir is set to consider as many as three debutants for Saturday's clash with North Melbourne amid the club's latest injury crisis.
The Dockers will be without swingman Brennan Cox for at least three months with a serious hamstring injury, while defender Oscar McDonald is facing a significant period on the sidelines with a knee injury.
Flanker Karl Worner has entered concussion protocols following a heavy collision in Sunday's win over Brisbane, with the Dockers set to make at least three changes for Round 2.
Longmuir could look to utilise Luke Jackson in attack more often this weekend to help with the loss of Cox, meaning fringe ruckman Liam Reidy could be handed a debut against the Kangaroos to take on the first-string ruck role.
Veteran defender Luke Ryan could be asked to take on one of the Roos' tall attacking targets to help with McDonald's absence, meaning Hayden Young or Bailey Banfield might even be called on for further defensive support as smaller running options.
"There's a lot of questions that need answering and there's a lot of options," Longmuir told media on Wednesday.
"Reidy coming in as a primary ruck and Jacko going forward is an option. Replacing the like-for-like in our back half is an option.
"You go back to a couple of years ago when we had a lot of injuries; Luke Ryan played a lot taller and that worked well for us. We feel like we've got the necessary replacements, it's just about which way we go at selection."
Uncapped key backmen Josh Draper and Hugh Davies will also be in consideration at selection, with the pair "well-placed" for senior minutes after impressing over the pre-season.
Both players joined the Dockers at the end of the 2022 season, with Draper a product of Fremantle's Next Generation Academy, and have added to strong debuts campaigns last year with Peel Thunder in the WAFL.
If Longmuir looks to keep Ryan in a looser role down back, one of Davies or Draper could earn a debut this weekend.
"We feel like they're in the mix, they'll come up in selection," Longmuir said of the young pair.
"[Draper] has had a great pre-season, Hughy as well. They've been playing key positions at Peel for all of last year, playing on our key forwards across the pre-season. Drapes got an opportunity in the West Coast and the back-end of the Port [pre-season] games. That shows we rate him the way he's going about his footy.
"Both of them will come into the mix, both have improved a lot since the back end of last year with another pre-season under their belt, both in the gym and running. They're well-placed if they get an opportunity."
The Dockers' selection committee will meet on Wednesday afternoon before their Round 2 squad is confirmed on Thursday at 6:20pm (AEDT).
