THE FUTURE health of Fremantle duo Matthew Pavlich and Michael Walters is more important than this week's game, teammate David Mundy says.
Pavlich and Walters took no part in the second half of the Dockers' win over Melbourne at the MCG on Sunday after copping head knocks in the first half.
Walters was subbed out in the second term after failing a concussion test while the Dockers were cautious in not allowing Pavlich to return following his collision with Colin Garland.
WATCH: Headaches for Dockers' star duo
Mundy said both were in good spirits on Tuesday but he stressed the club would not gamble with their health to have them play on Saturday night against Essendon.
"Matthew and 'Sonny' (Walters) are both well, just like normal around the club today," Mundy said.
"They'll obviously have their tests they have to pass this week."
"I think Pav and Sonny's mental health moving forward is more important than any one game or any quarter of football so there will certainly be a very careful approach to them this week."
Mundy was very confident the Dockers had the depth to cover both players should they be ruled out.
"We've seen in the last few years without Pav, we've managed," Mundy said.
"Chris Mayne has been playing fantastically well at the moment so we've got no issues there. Our depth through the midfield and across our entire team, with guys pushing up from Peel, is really spurring our group on and so we know we know if we lose one or two soldiers along the way that someone will step into the breach."
The Dockers have played 16 matches without Pavlich since the start of 2012, winning 12 and drawing one. Walters has missed 20 matches since the start of 2013 and the Dockers have won 14 of them.
The pair missed four games together in the past two seasons and the Dockers have won all four. They beat Melbourne, Adelaide and the Brisbane Lions in 2013 and the Demons again last season.
The Bombers are one of only three sides to have beaten Fremantle at Domain Stadium since June 2012. Mundy said the Dockers were on high alert despite the Bombers' indifferent form in recent weeks.
"We saw earlier in the year they came out to play really aggressively," Mundy said.
"Historically their travelling record is pretty good, and certainly against us it's been quite good. We're certainly not relaxing this week or taking our foot off the gas. We'll be on high alert and hoping to play the kind of football that we've displayed in the first five weeks."
