ADELAIDE star Riley Thilthorpe will need to be assessed after suffering a suspected compound fracture to a finger in his left hand during Friday night's loss to Fremantle at Optus Stadium.
Thilthorpe suffered the injury during a marking attempt in the third quarter and appeared to be in significant pain, leaving the ground for an extended period before returning and finishing with three goals.
The Crows confirmed on Friday night that the imposing goalkicker's skin had been pierced by the injury, but they were hopeful he would escape serious damage ahead of an important clash against Carlton next Saturday at Adelaide Oval.
DOCKERS v CROWS Full match coverage and stats
"We'll just have to see to what extent that is. He managed to go off and get back on the ground and still impact," coach Matthew Nicks said on Friday night.
"So hopefully it's not a long-term miss for him. He's very important to us at the moment, as you saw tonight. So it was nice to see him come back out, but we'll know more as that settles down.
"Riley does get a lot of footies in his hands and goes for a lot of contested marks, and so his hands are getting beaten up. He's a pretty tough young kid, though, he keeps fighting through it.
"Hopefully this one's not a really bad one, but he's had his moments across the time with his hands, and that's what happens with key position players.
"He kept fighting for us tonight. It's the sort of character that we think we've brought into the footy club, but hopefully he's okay."
Adelaide hopes to regain key forward Darcy Fogarty from a shoulder injury for next Saturday's clash after kicking its second lowest score for the season and going goalless in a critical third quarter on Friday night.
Nicks said the team had been "beaten up in the contest" in a first-quarter ambush that saw the desperate Dockers kick six goals to two in a game-defining burst to open a 25-point lead.
"We knew that was coming, it was a big build up and a big stage, and unfortunately, we didn't bring our A-game," Nicks said.
"We'll have a good look at that. We're licking our wounds at the moment when it comes to that midfield battle.
"We were a tiny bit off, a couple of per cent off, and they were on. Their metres gained was huge by handball, and that's what happens when they beat you around stoppage."
Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir said the Dockers entered the game with a "steely resolve" and were determined to bounce back after a disappointing loss to Melbourne last week, producing a performance they can build off.
He paid tribute to the team's leaders, including co-vice-captain Andrew Brayshaw, who won the first Arthur Leggett Medal as best afield in the club's annual Len Hall Tribute Game.
"We talked trademark and playing for the team and those type of things, and that was back tonight," the coach said.
"I thought we saw some desperate acts to save goals, save marks inside 50, and tidy up our work. That was somewhere near the level we need.
"I thought our midfield as a whole were really good. I hate to single anyone out because the footy we want to play is built off our team and everyone buying into roles and I thought we did that tonight."
Ruckman Sean Darcy rebounded from an off game against Melbourne last week to impact with 36 hitouts and five clearances, playing a prominent role in the Dockers' fast start in his third game back from knee and ankle injuries.
Longmuir said it was an important performance for the 26-year-old, who is expected to have Luke Jackson back as support in next Friday night's clash against St Kilda.
"He was disappointed, but he went to work, and as a football club, we understood that he's not going to be the finished product," Longmuir said.
"He's had a long time off. He's put a lot of work into certain areas of his body to be more resilient and it was good to see him bounce back and build his game.
"He's still only going to get better from that performance. But the pleasing thing is he's pulling up well, and he's building that resilience in his body and getting fitter."
