Fremantle coach Mark Harvey is facing one of his biggest dilemmas this pre-season as he ponders whether to rest giant ruckman Aaron Sandilands for Saturday's NAB Cup semi-final against St Kilda.
Speaking on Thursday, Harvey said Sandilands is scheduled for a rest either this week or next after playing in the club's two NAB Cup wins so far over the Demons and Kangaroos.
But Harvey is still tossing up whether to play him against an under-manned St Kilda missing skipper Nick Riewoldt and Brendan Goddard, as the ruckman's presence could mean Fremantle progresses to the first grand final in the club's history.
But if that was to occur, Sandilands would more than likely be rested for the NAB Cup final, handing either Port Adelaide or the Western Bulldogs a significant advantage as the Dockers look for their first piece of silverware outside of the Western Derby trophy.
But Harvey said the club's pre-season planning wouldn't be compromised by NAB Cup considerations.
"Our whole policy throughout the course of this has been to rotate six players every week and we'll do that again this week," Harvey said.
"He's (Sandilands) in the squad. We're just trying to work out how we can get him over there without anyone knowing."
"(But) our whole focus is Round 1, so we've just got to make sure we don't get sidetracked with that."
"It'd be great for our fans and our members," Harvey added, when asked about the benefits of Sandilands helping the club to a final.
"But we've had this policy imprinted over the pre-season and that's what we're going to do, no matter what circumstance we found ourselves in."
"We'd like to think that the players we bring into the side can fulfil the roles anyhow, that's the belief that we've got to have."
"If Aaron's not there, push ahead and try and win without Aaron."
Sandilands' absence would hand the ruck responsibility to former Bomber Kepler Bradley and second-year under-study Zach Clarke.
But the Dockers will also be without two key forwards in Hayden Ballantyne and Chris Mayne, who kicked five goals last week against North Melbourne, their loss slightly offset however by the return of skipper Matthew Pavlich along with veterans Paul Hasleby and Adam McPhee.
The Dockers have also named defender Steven Dodd in their 29-man squad, despite the 26-year-old not being expected to play until later in the year after undergoing pre-season shoulder and wrist surgery.
"He (Dodd) needs to be assessed," Harvey said, saying the team's last training session before flying to Melbourne would determine Dodd's selection.
"The surgeons actually thought it might have been a little bit later than this, but he's come up a lot quicker, which is good. It's a credit to the way he's prepared."
However, Harvey said that 2008 NAB Rising Star winner Rhys Palmer was still at least a month from returning from a knee reconstruction, while Des Headland would be available next week.