FREMANTLE expects run-with specialist Ryan Crowley to be available for Sunday's crunch game against North Melbourne, despite suffering an injury scare at training on Wednesday morning.
Crowley, who has returned to the midfield and enjoyed an outstanding season, left training at Fremantle Oval after tweaking an ankle.
Fremantle needs to beat the Kangaroos at Etihad Stadium on Sunday to boost its finals chances, and Crowley shapes as an ideal match-up for in-form veteran Brent Harvey if fit.
He has shutdown Brett Deledio, Scott Thompson and Luke Shuey in his past three matches and defender Luke McPharlin said he had been among the club's most valuable players this year.
"He's been outstanding. He's done a lot of great jobs for us this year and it's an absolute credit to him, given where he was at 12 months ago," McPharlin said on Wednesday.
"The opportunity Ross (Lyon) has given him this year, he's really grabbed onto that and delivered the majority of the year. It's been excellent.
"He's been able to shut down some key midfielders throughout the season.
"If you have a player who can do that, it certainly holds you in good stead through a game."
Also in doubt are captain Matthew Pavlich - who didn't train on Wednesday morning as he manages hamstring and Achilles tendon tightness - while ruckman Jon Griffin (groin) and midfielder Tendai Mzungu (shoulder) were also sidelined.
Pavlich has expressed confidence this week in his ability to be available against North Melbourne and McPharlin said it would take "something pretty major" to keep the star goalkicker sidelined.
"He hasn't trained much with the team through the week, but that's been the case the last few weeks," McPharlin said.
"'Pav' is such a professional, he knows exactly what he has to do to get himself up for the weekend and I'm sure this week will be no different.
"We know that regardless of little niggles or soreness that he'll have through the week he'll always manage to get himself up."
McPharlin labelled the Kangaroos, who have won nine of their past 10 games, the form side of the competition, with tall forwards Drew Petrie, Lachie Hansen and Robbie Tarrant in great touch.
Fremantle will likely call on defender Michael Johnson to play a more accountable role, and McPharlin said the back six would take confidence into the game.
"They’re really flying at the moment and they're going to pose a huge challenge to us," he said. "But we've got a defence that's been together for much of the year and we have every confidence that we can handle them.
"Coming up against a side that is a bit taller, Johnson's going to have to play more of a lockdown role at times and use his attributes of skill and reading the play when he can.
"To have that flexibility in our side is excellent and he's been able to do both this year - play more of a drop off role and then a lockdown role as well.
"Having that flexibility in the side is a real plus."
Nathan Schmook covers Fremantle news for AFL.com.au. Follow him on Twitter: @AFL_Nathan
