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Fremantle Dockers coach Justin Longmuir tight-lipped on Matt Taberner’s replacement for western derby

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Jordan McArdleThe West Australian
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Justin Longmuir is giving nothing away ahead of the derby.
Camera IconJustin Longmuir is giving nothing away ahead of the derby. Credit: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Fremantle coach Justin Longmuir wasn’t giving much away about injured forward Matt Taberner’s likely replacement for Saturday night’s western derby at Optus Stadium.

The hulking Josh Treacy, who has only played four games this season and missed Peel’s last WAFL game through illness, Bailey Banfield and in-form WAFL forward Sam Sturt are the likely leading contenders for Taberner’s spot, likewise with pressure small Sam Switkowski if he’s cleared to play following a back injury.

Longmuir said he was unsure whether a tall or small would come in for Taberner, who’s been ruled out for the home-and-away season with a moderate-grade calf injury sustained in last week’s finals-clinching win over Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium.

“We’ll have a look at selection,” Longmuir told 7NEWS.

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“It’s obviously going to either be a tall or a small that will come into the side so that will be a good discussion to have at match committee.”

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Longmuir said captain Nat Fyfe was “very unlikely” to come back for the derby, with the round 23 clash against GWS in Canberra firming as his return match.

“I don’t think so, that would be too greater risk and we can’t put him at risk so he’s very unlikely for the derby,” he said.

Longmuir said while breaking a seven-year finals drought is “a good notch on the belt”, he wasn’t thinking any further than the next fortnight.

Nat Fyfe almost certainly won’t play in the derby.
Camera IconNat Fyfe almost certainly won’t play in the derby. Credit: Darrian Traynor/via AFL Photos

With a top-four spot up for grabs, the Dockers take on West Coast in their final home game of the regular season on Saturday night before a trip to the nation’s capital the following week.

“It’s a good little notch in our belt I suppose,” Longmuir said.

“We understand that we’ve put ourselves in a good situation but we’re not satisfied yet, we’ve got a couple of big games ahead of us so we’re focused on the present at the moment.”

Longmuir wasn’t taking the 17th-placed Eagles lightly this weekend, despite having just a six-day turn-around and coming off a loss.

They will also be without retired dual Coleman medallist Josh Kennedy and suspended midfielder Tim Kelly, two of the team’s best players in Sunday’s loss to Adelaide.

“Derbies are derbies,” Longmuir said.

“Sometimes coming off a loss and a six-day break can actually be a helpful thing so we’ll look at their best footy and prepare for that.”

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