Fremantle Dockers appear set to recall Sean Darcy, likely to hold off on Alex Pearce for another week

Fremantle looks set to continue with their twin ruck pairing of Luke Jackson and Sean Darcy for Sunday’s clash with St Kilda at Optus Stadium. Darcy was rested from the Dockers’ last game off a five-day break, but put in a full session on Thursday morning at Cockburn, rotating through the ruck in 18-v-18 match simulation. The Saints have one of the competition’s premier ruckmen in Rowan Marshall, potentially aiding Darcy’s hopes of an AFL recall. But captain Alex Pearce appears unlikely to play for a fourth successive match over a five-week period with shin soreness. Pearce made a brief appearance on the track on Thursday before leaving the field. He’d worked diligently under the eye of Fremantle’s strength and conditioning coach on Tuesday without taking part in any contact work. Coach Justin Longmuir has said repeatedly Pearce would not play without the proper loading. He is expected to return for next week’s clash with Sydney. More to come