Fremantle forward Hayden Ballantyne looks set to play in Sunday's Carlton Draught Derby after training on Wednesday, but he is likely to wear a helmet for protection.
Ballantyne trained with the Fremantle squad on Wednesday morning at Fremantle Oval.
He fractured his cheekbone laying a tackle in round 17 against Geelong and has missed the last two matches.
The veteran goalsneak has been training with a helmet and is expected to use it when he returns to the field.
Fremantle senior coach Ross Lyon told 6PR on Tuesday night that Ballantyne was very likely to play against West Coast.
"If there's any risk on Hayden he won't play, but he's in pretty good shape," Lyon said.
"He almost played last week."
Aaron Sandilands has declared himself fit and ready to return after missing 16 weeks with fractured ribs. He is likely to partner Zac Clarke in the ruck after Clarke acquitted himself well over the past fortnight following indifferent form earlier this season.
Young key forward Michael Apeness will also be heavily considered for the derby. The 200cm big man kicked five goals in the WAFL last weekend. It was just his second game back after breaking his collarbone in round 11 against Essendon, his only senior game this season.
He did some ruck work at training with Sandilands on Wednesday and can pinch-hit in that spot if required.
But Apeness has played just seven games of football at all levels this season after missing almost all of last year following a serious posterior cruciate injury.
Apeness signed a two-year contract extension with Fremantle this week and Lyon is keen to get him into the team, but Fremantle must weigh up whether he needs another week in the WAFL.
"He's the future," Lyon said.
"He's an aggressive big man, which I like. He carries himself so well. He's had a rough run. I think we'll talk about him at match committee. There's not too many keeping him out at the minute.
"It's just whether that's fair, if he's done enough. We don't want to throw him to the wolves. It's either this week or probably the following week for Michael."
Two-year contract extension for Apeness
In further good news for Fremantle, young midfielder Harley Balic has made a return to full training and is a chance to play some football at WAFL level before the end of the season.
Balic was Fremantle’s second pick (No.38) in last year's NAB AFL Draft. He has been in rehab all year after multiple surgeries to try and fix a serious wrist injury but returned to main training on Wednesday.
