Alex Pearce is back in Fremantle's 23-man team for the Round 12 clash with Brisbane at the Gabba, the only change to the side for Saturday's match. The skipper comes in for Oscar McDonald after missing the previous two outings with a knee injury.
The selection was finalised on Saturday morning ahead of the 2.15pm WST bounce, giving Fremantle a timely boost against the reigning premiers. Pearce's return adds experience to a back line that has had to manage without him for two games, and it comes at a point in the season when every senior body matters.
Justin Longmuir had left the door open during the week, saying Hayden Young was more hopeful than confident of playing but that the club did not want to take any risks. Young remained on the sidelines for another week after his concussion setback in training following Round 9, with Fremantle continuing to err on the side of caution rather than rush him back.
That left Pearce as the lone addition and McDonald the player to make way. The reshuffle also underlined how carefully Fremantle are managing availability, with the club preferring not to force Young into the line-up before he was fully ready. Longmuir said Young still had boxes to tick before selection, and he left that call to the player and the medicos.
Fremantle's day does not end at the AFL level. Sean Darcy was set to return to football in the WAFL for Peel Thunder on Sunday after spending a long stretch out, another sign that the club is trying to rebuild its strength one player at a time. For now, though, the immediate focus is Pearce's return and whether he can help Fremantle take something from a testing trip to Brisbane.
The match was due to be shown live on Channel 7 and Fox Footy, with streaming available on Kayo and 7plus from 2.00pm WST.
