Fremantle senior coach Ross Lyon says his veteran players have had plenty of down time and do not need to be rested.
Lyon hinted earlier this year that he would consider resting some players during the year but on Friday he said the recent bye, 10-day break and injuries had given players respite.
“Everyone talks about rest but it seems to happen through injury and byes,” he said.
“We had a bye and 10-day break, that is a significant period of time and I think that (rest) has occurred.”
Fremantle’s defence has been hit hard with injuries in the first half of the year but Lyon said veteran defender Luke McPharlin, who has played all but two games, was in good shape.
“We’ve had some real challenges down there with no (Zac) Dawson, no (Alex) Silvagni and no (Michael) Johnson,” he said.
“I think that gets lost a little bit, some of the challenges we’ve had down back.”
Lyon was full of praise for McPharlin ahead of his 250th AFL game on Sunday.
“He’s a very good leader,” he said.
“His ability to win one-on-one contests and shut down the lead is really impressive.
“He has a big influence, he performs consistently and has had a wonderful career that is still going.”
Fremantle play Hawthorn at Aurora Stadium in Launceston on Sunday 12 July. Bounce down is at 3.20pm local time.
