ROSS Lyon has questioned why Fremantle was scheduled to play two pre-season matches in six days after injury concerns for tall forwards Brennan Cox and Matt Taberner further soured a 51-point loss to West Coast on Sunday.  

The Dockers backed up from a hot JLT Community Series clash with Collingwood on Monday in the defeat to the Eagles at Mandurah, and lost Cox during the first term to a left hamstring strain. 

Taberner was dropped after a scratchy eight-disposal effort against the Pies and was pulled out of Peel's curtain-raiser at half-time on Sunday due to what Lyon described as tightness in his hamstring or calf.  

Lyon was "really concerned" coming into the Eagles clash after playing Collingwood in sweltering heat, and his fears were realised after losing Griffin Logue and Sam Switkowski to hamstring issues on Monday.  

EAGLES DO IT EASY Big win for premiers in final pre-season clash

"I think the big picture is when you schedule teams – we've lost Cox in the first quarter to a hamstring – off their first hitout, at least give them a normal break of seven days would be nice," he said.   

"We'll be able to voice that. I never whack the AFL, they're super, but I came here concerned and I walk away concerned with it."

Both Taberner and Cox will be sweating on scans on Monday, in a disappointing finish to the pre-season, and out-of-favour Cam McCarthy could now be in line to face North Melbourne in round one alongside Jesse Hogan and Rory Lobb in attack.  

Lyon saw plenty of positives in Fremantle's clashes against last year's grand finalists, and was confident his midfield would rebound from being "comprehensively beaten" in clearances (55-27) and centre clearances (18-5) against the Eagles.

"I just said to the players 'one thing I do know is around the stoppages, they can be fixed'," Lyon said.  

"There's some really big learnings in there, we need to take them out, make sure round one that we're prepared for those issues that they faced in there today."  

The Dockers will regain superstar Nat Fyfe (elbow) against the Roos, although he has been ruled out of a Peel practice game next weekend, and Bradley Hill (corked calf) should be fine.

Lyon said recruit Reece Conca (26 disposals, five clearances) and Sean Darcy (32 hitouts) could play for the Thunder coming off injury interruptions.

West Coast coach Adam Simpson praised his senior midfielders for dominating after half-time on Sunday, but wasn't getting carried away ahead of a round one trip to Brisbane.

"I don't think it means anything drastic for the season ahead but we're in a good space in terms of our effort and we confronted, particularly in the first half, a team that put a lot of pressure on," Simpson said.

"To our players' credit we worked our way into the game, but round one in Brisbane we can't wait for that."

WATCH Adam Simpson's full post-match media conference

The Eagles are unsure if Josh Kennedy and Jamie Cripps will be available to face the Lions, however their inexperienced attack has booted 31 goals in practice matches against the Cats and Dockers. 

"We're relying a lot on our second-year players," Simpson said. "We've got a really young forward line.  

"Consistency is going to be tough when you're that age, but they all put their hand up at some stage." 

Simpson hoped gun backman Brad Sheppard would be fine after coming off with a corked leg in the second quarter, shortly after he was cleared of concussion.

"I think he got a corkie and a bit of whiplash. The neck is OK, I think the corkie started to bleed straight away," Simpson said.

"We tried to bring him back on, but we took the safe route.  

"I don't know if he's available for round one or anything, but it's a corkie at the moment so I think he'll recover."