Fremantle CEO Steve Rosich has confirmed that less than half of the Dockers team that will play Port Adelaide this weekend could back up and represent the club in the first week of finals.
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The Dockers could make as many as 14 changes from the side that meets the Power at Adelaide Oval on Sunday and the one that will host the first qualifying final.
Rosich said on Monday that as many as 11 players could be rested from the side that beat Melbourne by 54 points at Domain Stadium on Sunday.
Plus, Nat Fyfe, Hayden Ballantyne and Michael Walters are expected to come under consideration for a return in a fortnight to the side that looks certain to host Sydney in the first round of finals action.
The trio missed the clash against the Demons due to injury, Walters pulling out late on Sunday due to a calf injury.
"When the players return to the club on Tuesday, our coaching team and medical staff will be able to assess the fatigue and injury status of our main group. This assessment will then help determine the availability of players for our last home and away game," Rosich said.
"At this stage our initial assessment is that up to 11 of the players who played in round 22 may not be selected for our round 23 fixture.
"We are pleased for our club and our players that we have secured top spot on the ladder with one game remaining in the home and away season.
"It is a long hard season and our players have been rewarded for their efforts to date."
The tactic of resting players has worked for Fremantle in the past.
In 2013, the Dockers had 11 players miss their round 23 clash with St Kilda at Etihad Stadium, losing by 71 points to the 16th-ranked Saints.
A fresh Dockers then beat Geelong the following week by 15 points in the Qualifying Final a week later and defeated Sydney by 25 points in the Preliminary Final before losing to Hawthorn by 15 points in the Grand Final.
