Fremantle Dockers senior coach Ross Lyon said Freo’s management of injured veteran players Aaron Sandilands, Michael Johnson and Nat Fyfe would cater to both long and short-term needs of the team.
 
Lyon said Freo would emphasise the long-term health of the players whilst still fielding a competitive team every week.
 
“We always have a short and a long-term view,” Lyon said.
 
“We want to pick a competitive team, and clearly we are balancing that up with opportunities for our younger players.”
 
While any team would be tempted to play three of their best players once they return from injury, Lyon said the ongoing health of the playing group would remain Freo’s priority.

“We have our players health at the forefront of our mind all the time,” he said.
 
“I don’t have the input of when they get back, they just rehab.

HBF Injury Update: Apeness closing in on return
 
“It would be remiss of us to take any kind of risk where you couldn’t mitigate the damage.
 
“When it’s significant, you err on the side of (caution), but let’s give them another week.”
 
Given the competitive nature of AFL players, Lyon said it was important to have consistent dialogue with the playing group, and will do the same with injured midfielder Nat Fyfe.
 
“He’ll (Fyfe) sit down with our conditioners and surgeons,” he said.
 
“I have ongoing dialogue with all my players but haven’t sat down and ‘split the atom’ with him yet.
 
“My view is that we should take a conservative view with him but Nathan is an ultra competitive beast.”