Walters hamstrung as Freo sweats on Fyfe's fitness
Acting Fremantle captain Michael Walters will miss Sunday's crucial clash with Collingwood after the club confirmed he injured a hamstring late in the team's round eight loss to Geelong on Monday.
Walters is regarded as the club's best player after captain Nat Fyfe, who could return for the Pies match at Optus Stadium if he gets through Friday's main training session.
Nat Fyfe lays a tackle during the round six clash with the Saints.
Fyfe suffered a hamstring injury in round four against Gold Coast before he missed only one match before the round six win over St Kilda, where he played mainly forward after quarter time.
The dual Brownlow medallist was found to have suffered a different hamstring injury after the Saints match and missed the club's subsequent losses back home in Perth against West Coast and the Cats.
The setback to Walters was one of three hamstring injuries to Fremantle players in Monday's game, with another in the opening minute to emerging on-baller Darcy Tucker, ending his season, and ruckman Sean Darcy. Both players will require surgery.
Fremantle's injury crisis leaves rookie coach Justin Longmuir without 14 of arguably his best 22 just eight rounds into the season. Key defenders Joel Hamling and Alex Pearce have been sidelined since January, while several of their teammates have hit rehab hurdles or suffered new soft-tissue injuries during the club's 2020 campaign.
"It is what it is," Longmuir said of the club's big injury toll, the second worst in the AFL this season behind North Melbourne.
"We have got a lot at the moment ... a lot of our good players are out. I understand where the questions are coming from."
Fremantle was hopeful injury-prone forward Jesse Hogan (calf) would be fit to face Collingwood but high-performance manager Jason Weber said on Wednesday the superstar would not get up.
"Jesse ran this morning with the group and looks like another week probably," Weber said on the club website.
Fyfe was a chance to return after a positive showing on the track on Wednesday, as was defender Brennan Cox (hip), a late withdrawal against Geelong.
"Nat’s had a really strong training progression over the past couple of weeks," Weber said. "He had an excellent session this morning with the group and he’ll be available for main training on Friday.
"Brennan’s done some testing this week and things are looking really good. He’ll be a test later in the week but it’s looking really positive for him.”
While the club couldn't pinpoint a return date for Walters, recently sidelined Griffin Logue was likely to miss seven to nine weeks and gun rookie Hayden Young seven to 11 weeks. Stephen Hill, who had just returned to the side after a long lay-off, was also set to miss another week due to an adductor strain, Weber said.
The Dockers have a bye next week, along with West Coast and new Perth hub clubs Carlton and Hawthorn, who clash at Optus Stadium on Friday afternoon, with the bouncedown at 3.40pm.
It is the first time Optus Stadium will host three events over three consecutive days.