FREMANTLE will be out to seal the minor premiership when the ladder leader opens round 23 against Adelaide on Friday night.

The Dockers lost few admirers as they played out one of the games of the year against Melbourne but the nailbiting defeat means the ladder leaders are yet to clinch the minor premiership. 

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A victory over the Crows would be enough to lock in a first-place finish though the Dockers will be as concerned with tightening up a defence that just leaked its highest score for the season with the finals in sight.

Adelaide missed an opportunity to boost its percentage with a tense win in the wet against Richmond but can still snatch a top-four finish by overtaking Brisbane or Hawthorn on the run home.

The Crows will have to overturn a poor recent record against the Dockers with only one victory in their past seven meetings while they have never beaten the ladder leaders at their current home in Perth.

Adelaide has made a massive six changes for the clash, including managing the retiring Taylor Walker and dropping Reilly O'Brien, Archie Ludowyke, Billy Dowling and Oscar Ryan, with Darcy Fogarty among the inclusions following a three-match suspension as well as Lachie McAndrew and Jake Soligo.

The Dockers will be without young star Murphy Reid, who has succumbed to a groin injury, while Judd McVee has been left out, but skipper Alex Pearce is back after being rested last week.