Fremantle Dockers: Alex Pearce, Sean Darcy named in extended squad, Max Gawn to miss for Melbourne Demons

Fremantle are set to field their strongest team of the season with captain Alex Pearce and No.1 ruck Sean Darcy to return against Melbourne, while the Demons will be without star Max Gawn.

SCROLL DOWN TO SEE THE DOCKERS LINE-UP

Young defender Josh Draper is the only omission from the Dockers’ extended squad, making way for Pearce ahead of the Optus Stadium clash on Sunday.

“It’s good to have your captain back down there. He’s our voice. He’s always the one to make a big contest and make the boys up and about,” defender Luke Ryan said of Pearce.

“It’s going to be a massive boost.”

Pearce returns from three weeks on the sidelines with a broken arm and will play in a skin-coloured arm cast approved by the AFL, rather than the purple one he has worn at training.

It will mark the first time since round one that Ryan, Pearce and Brennan Cox have played in the same side and the first game this season that they’ve lined up alongside each other in the backline.

Corey Wagner, Jordan Clark and Heath Chapman make up the starting back six.

After missing the clash with Hawthorn in concussion protocols, Darcy will return to the No.1 ruck role against the Demons.

Jackson has been named up forward, alongside talls Josh Treacy and Jye Amiss in what looms as an eight-point clash between the two finals contenders.

Will Brodie and Brandon Walker have been named on an eight-player interchange bench that includes Sam Sturt, Jaeger O’Meara, Michael Walters, James Aish, Matthew Johnson and Patrick Voss.

That will be trimmed to five on Friday, with one of those to be named the sub on Sunday.

Melbourne have opted not to rush Gawn back from an ankle injury despite the ruck combination of Darcy and Jackson looming large.

The 2021 premiers, of which Jackson was a member of, managed to knock over Essendon at the MCG without a recognised ruck last week, going with Harrison Petty and Jacob van Rooyen in the middle.

Tom Fullarton has been named on an extended interchange bench alongside Caleb Windsor, Jack Billings, Jake Bowey, Adam Tomlinson, Bailey Laurie, Koltyn Tholstrup and Daniel Turner, with Petty in the starting 22.

The Demons have made one change, with WA product Taj Woewodin managed.

FREMANTLE LINE-UP

B: H Chapman, A Pearce, B Cox

HB: C Wagner, L Ryan, J Clark

C: J Sharp, N Fyfe, H Young

HF: B Banfield, S Switkowski, M Frederick

F: J Treacy, J Amiss, L Jackson

IC from: S Sturt, J O’Meara, M Walters, J Aish, M Johnson, B Walker, P Voss, W Brodie