Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir didn't give much away when quizzed about how to tackle All-Australian contender and North Melbourne ruckman Tristan Xerri.,
The Dockers' ruck situation has been an intriguing watch since Luke Jackson joined the club ahead of the 2023 season, with Sean Darcy firmly placed as the No.1 man.
However, injury to Darcy has allowed Jackson to flourish in the role in a solo capacity, with queries over the pair working in tandem raised every single time.
Fremantle prevailed over Gold Coast in wet conditions before the club's mid-season bye, utilising the Darcy-Jackson pairing to tackle Jarrod Witts, which was to good effect.
"He's got to be the All-Australian ruck at the moment," Longmuir said of Xerri.
"He's an important part of it. They've got a lot of mids, get their hands on it, put a lot of pressure on. They make it a good, honest battle in there."
Longmuir and the Dockers are wary of the Kangaroos' proposition, and got a leg up in their preparation after "sending someone" to watch their clash with West Coast at Hands Oval in Bunbury.
"If we disrespect this team coming up, if we look too far ahead and get ahead of ourselves, we'll get a shock," Longmuir said.
North Melbourne will "host" Fremantle at Optus Stadium as part of their Western Australian business venture.
Veteran midfielder Nat Fyfe returned to the senior side for his first outing of 2025, starting as a substitute in the Suns victory.
Longmuir alluded to Fyfe potentially getting more minutes, either as the 23rd man or as a starter.
Caleb Serong and Andrew Brayshaw are producing career-best numbers, while the Dockers have used Jackson in an on-baller role at times.
Neril Erasmus and Shai Bolton have also been employed as midfielders, as have Matthew Johnson and Sam Switkowski.
The mix has led to the Dockers winning their past three encounters, and pushing them toward a top-four opportunity.
"There's a chance," Longmuir said of personnel changes to the midfield group.
"We're pretty happy with our mids. They've been in good form, so it's probably not about personnel but a bit of structure and strategy."
