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One of Fremantle’s most experienced players could return, while a pair of draftees have put their hands up to debut as Fremantle faces Collingwood on Sunday at Domain Stadium.
Aaron Sandilands
It’s the big question heading into round 11 – will Sandilands get up to face the Pies?
Speaking at his weekly media conference on Wednesday, senior coach Ross Lyon said the 34-year-old was no certainty.
“(Aaron) needs to hit the KPIs that a combination of our doctor, physio and strength and conditioning require,” Lyon said.
“It’s a strengthening issue but he’s coming on in leaps and bounds, so we’re optimistic.”
“We’ll give him every chance, if that means maybe having a look around Saturday, that’s what we’ll do.”
Ed Langdon
Lyon sounded more confident that Ed Langdon would return in an outside midfielder role.
“Clearly, there were enough performances that weren’t up to scratch (against Adelaide) and that allows Ed to come back in,” Lyon said.
“He should be able to give us some real run and zip because that’s what he brings to the table. He’s a very similar runner to Bradley Hill, so on the vast expanses of Domain it really helps you.”
Sean Darcy
If Sandilands is not selected, 18-year-old Sean Darcy may be a chance to take on the ruck role.
Darcy was a travelling emergency for the away trip to Adelaide in round 10 and has totalled 53 hit outs and six goals during his past two appearances for Peel.
Lyon said that new draftees Darcy and Luke Ryan were pushing to make their debuts.
“We travelled Sean and Luke, which is a bit of a tell that they’re around the mark,” Lyon said.
Luke Ryan
After an injury interrupted start to his WAFL campaign, Ryan has played the past four games for Peel, including a 30–disposal effort in his most recent appearance.
As a half-back, Ryan is unlikely to come in for either Sandilands or Langdon if they fail to pass their fitness tests, however, Lyon has signalled that further changes may be on the cards.
“Really no-one’s safe because it’s a performance business,” Lyon said.
“We need to reward people who have been pushing up to make sure we keep that integrity around selection, which is really important for us.”
Tommy Sheridan
Sheridan was another singled out by Lyon as a potential inclusion for round 11.
The 23-year-old has played some strong games for Peel since his last Freo appearance, including a 34-disposal and six-tackle effort against Swan Districts on 13 May.