"The best ability is availability." "Health is wealth." These are examples of adages footy fans will be force-fed as the 2025 AFL season rapidly approaches its climax.
As cliche as these phrases are, teams boasting the shortest injury lists come September best position themselves to claim the flag.
Who are the needle movers that this year's finals contenders are looking to welcome back? We take a look with just five home and away matches remaining.
7Fremantle
Dockers skipper Alex Pearce is a week away from a return, after a shin injury kept him out of his side's backline in recent weeks. 'Moose', as he's affectionately known, hasn't been sighted since Fremantle's Round 17 loss to Sydney, and missed significant time prior to that match, with a similar concern.
The Dockers haven't conceded 100 points since Round 6, and the addition of Pearce will only strengthen a defence that conceded just 78 points from the Magpies' 63 inside 50 entries on the weekend.
Dynamic midfielder Hayden Young made his first appearance since Round 9 in the weekend's victory, and looks to be elevated from the sub role for this weekend's Derby. Continuity in his body will be a priority for the classy and creative left footer, with the dimension he adds to the Dockers centre bounce brigade likely to be critical as the side pursue a first premiership flag.
Club champion and dual Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe is a week away from returning from a recent calf complaint. Despite the depth the Dockers have exhibited this season, it is hard to imagine a world in which Fyfe doesn't feature in a finals campaign for the club, such is his status and standing at Cockburn.
