Fremantle key forward Matt Taberner has failed in a race against time to play in Saturday night's cut-throat AFL elimination final against the Western Bulldogs.
The Docker spearhead trained at Cockburn on Thursday, but coach Justin Longmuir was cagey on whether he would be selected.
"He hasn't had a great run with injury, and he's been injured within games this year, so that all comes into it," Longmuir said.
"If the medical staff declare him fit, he's 100 per cent. We still have to take into consideration his injury history.
"Taberner at his best is in our best team, but we need him up and going. It puts a lot of pressure on the team when a player gets injured in a game."
"When you're in and out of the team a lot, sometimes that plays on your own mind as well and plays into your own form, because you're doubting your body.
"There's no doubt that if Tabs had a month of footy under his belt, he would be in our team. We value him highly, it's just that he hasn't been afforded that luxury this year."
The Dockers swung a selection surprise, selecting first-year forward Jye Amiss.
Amiss impressed on debut with two goals against North Melbourne in round eight before his season was halted by a serious kidney injury sustained in a marking contest playing for Peel against South Fremantle in May.
He has since played three games as he built his fitness with Peel, kicking 2.0 against South Fremantle, 1.1 against Claremont and 2.2 against West Coast.
Other key talls to return
The Dockers will welcome back Rory Lobb and Griffin Logue for the do-or-die clash.
The pair missed the round 23 win over Greater Western Sydney with injury.
The Dockers are likely to drop fellow big man Lloyd Meek in favour of Lobb, who will play as a ruck-forward, alongside Sean Darcy.
"Griffin is building on his forward craft, but he's proven he can set up goals and give us a contest," Longmuir said.
"Lobb is really important, clearly, with the contest he's given and his leading patterns and his ability to go in the ruck.
"A fair bit has been made of those two (but) they've only missed one game. We don't feel like they've missed too much footy."
Captain to miss with injury
Fremantle captain Nat Fyfe trained with the side on Thursday, but the club is no clearer on when he will be fit, after he suffered a hamstring injury on Saturday, which ruled him out of the elimination final.
Fyfe has managed just seven games this season.
"I'm sure deep down he's disappointed he's not playing, and flat with the inconsistencies he's had throughout the year with his body, but he's been able to mask that and impart his knowledge and experience onto others," Longmuir said.
The Dockers are leaning on the few members of the squad which have played in finals, which includes just four who have played in one for Fremantle.
Fyfe, David Mundy, Michael Walters and Taberner all played the last time Fremantle featured in September.
"It's about trying to educate and get the players to understand it's a different time of the year, but it's only different because of the external focus," Longmuir said.
"The crowd, the buzz around town, the media, do-or-die games, those sorts of things.
"Players have shared their experiences of what they have learned from their first finals experience, and we've tried to focus on what's important once the game starts.
"You can't make up finals experience, so you've got to start somewhere. Win, lose or draw we'll learn from it."
While it's a first final for a lot of the Dockers side, it will also be a the first time Longmuir had been the head coach in an AFL final.
"I'm probably a bit like the players to be honest. I find myself drifting to game day. A bit of excitement thrown in there but I just keep bringing myself back to the process and making sure I give the players the best opportunity to prepare."
Key Bulldog ruled out
The Western Bulldogs will be without star midfielder Tom Liberatore, after he suffered a hamstring injury in training last week.
Liberatore leads the Bulldogs in contested possessions and clearances, but Longmuir played down how big a loss he is to Luke Beveridge's side.
"They've got plenty of guys who can go through there and so much depth through the midfield," he said.
"I just expect that (Josh) Dunkley, Bont (Marcus Bontempelli), or (Adam) Treloar, or (Bailey) Smith or one of them will just take a bit more responsibility around stoppages."
