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NAT Fyfe has escaped serious damage to the right shoulder he injured in the dying stages of Tuesday's International Rules practice match in Sydney.
 
Scans on Wednesday confirmed Fyfe strained the AC joint in his right shoulder. 

He has officially been ruled out of the International Rules Test against Ireland on Saturday night, but Fremantle is confident the injury will not have a significant impact on his pre-season.

The injury happened when Fyfe was diving for a mark late in the game against a New South Wales Gaelic team in western Sydney.
 
He hurt his right shoulder, considered to be his "good" one given two previous operations on his left side.
 
Ross Lyon, Fremantle's senior coach and an assistant coach with the Australian squad, had earlier said the injury was minor and there was no cause for alarm.


"He just came off with a slight AC joint (sprain)," Lyon said on arrival into Perth on Tuesday night.  

"It's at the minor end and certainly with Alastair Clarkson and the AFL it is a 'no risk' policy."

"He was in a degree of discomfort but he's got off the plane feeling really well. 

"We'll have a scan tomorrow. It's certainly not long-term serious. But it's more than likely to discount him. But in saying that if the scan was positive and he felt good we would try and get Nathan up."

The 2014 AFLPA Most Valuable Player and Fremantle best and fairest winner was in good spirits when he arrived in Perth. 
He had spoken earlier about his disappointment of getting injured ahead of Saturday's test at Patersons Stadium.
 
"I dived for a mark and simply landed the wrong way and it didn't feel right," Fyfe said.
 
"I've loved the experience over the last few days and meeting players from across the competition, and it's incredibly disappointing to miss out."

Fyfe was due to participate in his first International Rules campaign, and in front of his home crowd in Perth.
 
The Dockers' star midfielder is not the first player to be injured representing his country. 
 
In 2010, then-Geelong forward Travis Varcoe missed three months of pre-season after needing surgery on the shoulder he injured in a practice match in Ireland while on the International Rules tour.

Lyon said while there was always a risk of players getting hurt he understood the risk and he was "incredibly confident" that Fyfe's injury would not affect his pre-season with Fremantle.

"Obviously there was concern, as it would be for any club but obviously it's closer to home," Lyon said. 

"But we're relieved it's nothing to do with what he's had in the past. We know he's a special player and important to our campaign, but there's nothing you do in life without risk and this is really at the minor end. We're confident he'll be fine.
 
The Irish team played their practice match on Sunday in Melbourne and got through largely unscathed, although Brisbane Lions' midfielder Pearce Hanley suffered a minor scare.
 
Hanley was bumped on the jaw in a collision with VFL player Adam Cockie in the third quarter.
 
He didn't play the last quarter but assured AFL.com.au afterwards he was fine.
 
Another member of the Irish squad, Darren Hughes, also hurt his right quad in the third quarter and spent the rest of the game icing it.