THE OUTSTANDING pre-seasons of several defenders has given Fremantle the luxury to be cautious with dual All-Australian backman Luke Ryan as he pushes to secure his round one spot against Geelong after a pre-season interrupted by shoulder surgery.

Key tall Brennan Cox, however, is racing the clock to face Geelong on March 14 after the club confirmed he had suffered a calf strain against West Coast on Saturday and would miss the upcoming AAMI Community Series clash against Adelaide.

An important player and influential leader, Ryan is undoubtedly part of the Dockers' best line-up, but a shoulder reconstruction at the end of last season has led to long stretches training with restricted contact this summer and limited involvement in intra-club matches.

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The 30-year-old was left out of the team that took on West Coast in match simulation on Saturday after a recent knock to his shoulder and played in a separate match afterwards that included depth players from both clubs and WAFL players. 

The Dockers were pleased with his performance in that hitout, intercepting and using the ball well while also taking contact as he builds confidence in his reconstructed shoulder. 

Luke Ryan in action during the elimination final between Fremantle and Gold Coast at Optus Stadium on September 6, 2025. Picture: AFL Photos

Coach Justin Longmuir said other defenders were ahead of Ryan at the moment, but there was time for the 2020 club champion to work his way back, 19 days before the Dockers take on the Cats at GMHBA Stadium. 

"There's others ahead of him at the moment, and others have had a bigger and better pre-season than him," Longmuir said after the Dockers' impressive practice match against the Eagles. 

"Through no real fault of Luke's, he's come back from that shoulder reconstruction, so he's only had a couple of intra-clubs as a run-in, where other guys … have had a longer run-in. 

"We've got some good competition for spots at the moment, and if you haven't done a full pre-season, you've been left behind a little bit. 

"They've got plenty of time to catch up and end their spot. It's good competition at the moment."

The Dockers' backline is in good shape aside from the setback to Cox, with small defender Brandon Walker and versatile pair Heath Chapman and Karl Worner among the best performed players over the summer. 

Brandon Walker tackles Harley Reid during the match simulation between Fremantle and West Coast at Victor George Kailis Oval on February 21, 2026. Picture: Getty Images

The club also added half-back Judd McVee from Melbourne as a rebounding sidekick for All-Australian Jordan Clark, with positions filling quickly as captain Alex Pearce and Oscar McDonald prepare to fill the key posts against the Crows.

Saturday's AAMI Community Series clash against Adelaide shapes as a crucial match to help decide the backline mix, with ruck Sean Darcy also earmarked to return from a calf setback at Mandurah's Rushton Park. 

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Match Sim Highlights: Fremantle v West Coast

The Dockers and Eagles clash in match simulation

Published on Feb 21, 2026

Walker was among the standouts against West Coast, giving the Dockers another avenue out of defence as they look to increase the speed of their ball-movement in the back half. 

"We just love how he plays on instinct. He can break the first line of defence just because he bounces up with the ball and his leg speed is able to break that first layer of defence, which opens the game up," Longmuir said of Walker, who was unable to force his way into the team last season after a round two shoulder dislocation. 

"His last two weeks in intra-clubs, he's probably been one of our better backs in both games, so he demanded a spot," Longmuir said. 

"He's been out of the team for a while on the back of some injuries and then just a stable backline last year, but he's been able to force his way in and I thought he took another step forward."