Overview

• Alex Pearce has been ruled out of Thursday’s match with Essendon after a shin hot spot failed to progress
• Coach Justin Longmuir emphasized a cautious recovery plan influenced by Pearce’s history of leg fractures and declined to set a comeback date
• Nat Fyfe is under consideration for a first full-match role after delivering influential performances as the substitute in the past two games
• Fit-again Michael Walters and Jaeger O’Meara will return via WAFL appearances this weekend to vie for senior selection
• Fremantle’s match committee is assessing its ruck setup with Sean Darcy and Luke Jackson both reporting strong recoveries from training