Young key defender Joshua Draper has been recalled to the team to replace injured captain Alex Pearce, who is set for a second stint on the sidelines following a new forearm injury he sustained during round 19.
Draper played a crucial key defensive role in the Club's round 16 win over Sydney at the SCG, a game skipper Alex Pearce also missed due to injury.
He has played 15 games for the season after making his AFL debut in round two and it will be the second time in Draper's short career that he has played in an RAC Derby.
Veteran forward Michael Walters will also miss Saturday’s clash after scans revealed he sustained a hamstring injury during the Club’s 50-point win over Melbourne. The Club will provide further details on Walter’s injury in the coming week.
Walters has been replaced by pressure forward Tom Emmett who has been named on the extended bench alongside James Aish, Bailey Banfield, Jeremy Sharp and Corey Wagner.
Saturday’s clash will be the first game Emmett has played since the Club’s round 11 draw with Collingwood.
Emmett has averaged 17 disposals, five marks, five tackles and one goal across his last three appearances for Peel Thunder in the WAFL.
Match Day Information: Get all the info you need ahead of RAC Derby 59
Fremantle have previously won five of the last six RAC Derbies, before suffering a loss in round six earlier this season.
Fremantle have averaged 96.6 points in the last five RAC Derbies, while only conceding an average of 59.8 points against at the same time.
On Saturday, dual Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe will play West Coast for the 19th time in his career, drawing level with Sydney as the opposition he has faced the most across his 236-game career.
Across his current 18 appearances against West Coast, Fyfe has averaged 24.6 disposals, 4.3 marks and 5.1 tackles per game.
The Club will once again be led by Andy Brayshaw, who will captain the side for the second time while Alex Pearce is sidelined with his forearm injury.
The Club’s extended five-man bench includes the substitute which will be confirmed an hour before bouncedown on Saturday.
Cooper Simpson, Ethan Hughes and Pat Voss have been named as the emergencies for the clash.
Bouncedown for RAC Derby 59 will be at 6.10pm WST on Saturday and will be broadcast live on 7mate and Fox Sports 3 and streamed live on Kayo Sports.
Due to high demand, there are limited tickets available for Saturday’s game. Supporters are encouraged to continue checking Ticketmaster for member seat returns as they become available.
