Fremantle Dockers' training in the spotlight after spate of injuries

Fremantle's training methods have come under scrutiny with young defender Ethan Hughes the latest Dockers casualty hit with a calf injury.

Hughes, 21, has played the last three Dockers games since his call into a beleaguered defensive division and is expected to miss up to a month.

As coach Ross Lyon announced mature-age draftee Sam Collins will make his AFL debut against St Kilda on Saturday the Dockers boss conceded that deeper research is in order after a spate of calf injuries that have plagued top recruit Harley Bennell and captain David Mundy.

Ross Lyon's training plan is under scrutiny. Photo: Getty images

Lyon took a turnabout at his weekly media conference when he declined to rule former captain Matthew Pavlich out of the Saints clash while announcing that Collins will be called up to replace injured young key defender Alex Pearce who is out for the rest of the season with a broken leg.

Mundy and dashing winger Stephen Hill, who is nursing a groin strain, were also making determined bids to prove fit enough to make the trip to confront the Saints.

Lyon had indicated on Tuesday that Pavlich could be held out of a contest on the hard Etihad Stadium surface.

Michael Johnson is still out of action after surgery. Photo: Getty Images

The 343-game great has told his coach he wants to play.

Collins, 21, has been in top form at Dockers WAFL alignment outfit Peel Thunder.

The strongly-built backman was a member of Hawthorn affiliate outfit Box Hill's leadership team and played in the last two VFL grand finals before he was recruited to Fremantle last November with Fremantle's fourth draft selection at 55.

Dockers' Anthony Morabito's return has also been delayed. Photo: Scott Barbour

If Pavlich, Mundy and Hill all missed the clash with the Saints widely expected to inflict a 10th straight defeat onto the Dockers this season, they are all likely to be fully fit to take on fellow cellar-dwelling strugglers Essendon back in Perth on Saturday-week.

Pavlich, Mundy and Hill all trained in Fremantle on Thursday ahead of announcement of a Dockers travelling party and provisional list of for the Saints engagement.

Fremantle's horrible season with nine straight losses after being roundly touted as a premiership contender ahead of their shocking start has been further complicated with a crippling injury toll including what Lyon described as "above AFL average" for calf strains.

Top defender Michael Johnson is recuperating from surgery after further complications with serious hamstring complaints and injury-plagued midfielder Anthony Morabito's anticipated return is also delayed.

Experienced defender Alex Silvagni and first-season mature-age forward Shane Yarran are other Dockers out of action with calf injuries.

Lyon disclosed that examining his alarming rate of calf injuries is on-going with his medical and fitness conditioning staff.

"It's been a challenge the last couple of years, they're up above the AFL average and we know we're above the average," Lyon said.

"Sometimes it's your whole program.

"We've done a lot of work, we're liaising with experts.

"But where we're at is we've got be careful we don't go too quickly Monday to Friday because it then overloads them.

"So that something we'll have to bear in mind going forward."

Lyon indicated he will again play out-of-sorts ruck pair Zac Clarke and Jon Griffin who were well beaten by Tigers big man Shaun Hampson and Ben Griffiths on the ball in Perth last Saturday night.