FREMANTLE spearhead Matt Taberner has pleaded his case for selection to coach Justin Longmuir this week after recovering from a calf injury, with the Dockers set to weigh up whether he is ready to return in a "really intense final".
Taberner, who hasn't played since round 21, returned from injury in the WAFL at the weekend and kicked two goals on managed minutes to put himself in the frame for a recall.
The 29-year-old appears unlikely to replace teenage forward Jye Amiss, who impressed with two goals and a strong aerial presence in his second game, with Longmuir leaning towards an unchanged line-up.
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Both Taberner and Griffin Logue spent time away from the main group at Wednesday morning's training session, with a selection decision between the two key position players the most likely scenario.
"The decision will be whether he (Taberner) is ready to come into a really intense final, or he needs another week," Longmuir said.
"He’s pleading his case and he wants to play, but he understood the reasons last week.
"He’s been searching and preparing for these types of situations, and he desperately wants to be out there and contribute. But on the flipside, he definitely doesn’t want to let the team down.
"As a match committee, we’ll always put the team first. There’s a fair bit to weigh up this afternoon."
Collingwood interceptor Darcy Moore looms large on Saturday night at the MCG after a game-high 10 intercepts against Geelong, with Longmuir more inclined to keep him accountable with attacking play rather than a defensive forward.
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"I think it's going to be really important the way we kick the ball to our tall forwards and engage their backs," the coach said.
"(Nathan) Murphy, Moore, (Jeremy) Howe, and their smaller backs have been really good this year and been able to defend really well as a collective.
"I haven't really thought about [a defensive forward]. I think our forwards are better when they're a little bit more proactive and given a bit of a licence to be creative. That's when we've played our best footy."
A fast start will be important for the Dockers, who were forced to claw back a 41-point deficit against the Western Bulldogs and have lost five of their past six opening quarters.
Longmuir said handling their opponents' intensity early would be crucial. The Magpies produced the second-best pressure performance of the opening round of finals.
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"It has usually been around that contest stuff and the extra intensity that the opposition have brought, and the ability to buffer that pressure when you’re not on the front foot," he said.
"Quite often we feel the opposition’s pressure. We want to try to avoid that as much as we can.
"We need to get our contest work a lot better, and need to execute the basics under pressure a lot better than we did early [against the Bulldogs]."
The Dockers will face a pro-Collingwood crowd potentially in excess of 90,000 on Saturday night, posing a new challenge for the young team after benefiting from a raucous home crowd against the Bulldogs.
Longmuir said the players were embracing the challenge that looms and would benefit from their strong record on the road this season, having lost only two goals away from Optus Stadium.
"We’ve got a really good platform of form on the road this year that we can learn from and build off," he said.
"I think the crowd factor is just another little distraction we need to overcome.
"It’s worth talking about some of those things and understanding that if they get control of the game and the crowd gets on their side, how we prepare for that and how we counter that.
"I’ve spoken about a few things already, but our connection and relying on each other is going to be important."
Injured captain Nathan Fyfe will travel with the group to share his experience in big finals, with the Dockers set to fly to Melbourne on Thursday and have a final captains' run on Friday.
