FREMANTLE star Josh Treacy has been ruled out for a third straight week because of a posterior cruciate ligament injury as the Dockers season goes on the line against Port Adelaide on Sunday.
Treacy was not sighted at training on Tuesday as the Dockers confirmed he was battling a low-grade PCL injury that he first suffered in a collision against Essendon in round 21.
The Dockers, who must beat the Power on Sunday and rely on other results to play finals, said they were not willing to take any risks with their breakout star, who has kicked 45 goals this season.
"It's been a frustrating one with 'JT' where he's had a low-grade PCL injury," general manager of football Joe Brierty told SEN on Tuesday.
"At this point in time he's still progressing really well and it's healing, but we would look for him to be available again for the first final if we were to get through."
Meanwhile, doubt continues to surround the availability of ruckman Sean Darcy, who trained very lightly on Tuesday morning and appears to still be hampered by a knee issue.
The team has the benefit of an eight-day break going into Sunday's clash, with a selection of other senior players taking the chance to train lightly and freshen up.
As well as beating second-placed Port, the Dockers will need one of Carlton, Hawthorn or the Western Bulldogs to lose to allow them to play finals, having slipped from third to ninth in the past three weeks.
The Hawks host North Melbourne in Launceston on Saturday before the Bulldogs face Greater Western Sydney in Ballarat and an injury-hit Carlton tackles St Kilda at Marvel Stadium.
Forward Sam Switkowski said he would avoid focusing on other results and riding the emotion of those matches during the build-up to the Dockers' own clash with the Power.
He said the team would be doing everything possible to win, regardless of whether their season was alive or not when Sunday afternoon arrives.
"It's unfortunate this week that our fate is not in our own hands anymore and obviously we need to get the job done ourselves, but we need to rely on some other results," Switkowski said.
"Some [players] who usually watch the footy might want to tune in. I personally won't really be watching it and I'll just be focusing on what I need to do on Sunday against Port Adelaide.
"It won't serve me well at all to ride any sort of emotion in those footy games."
Asked how he felt the Dockers were placed to make an impact in finals if they can get there, Switkowski said: "I absolutely have a lot of belief in this team that we can beat any other team on our given day".
Failing to make the top eight will clearly be an opportunity missed for the young team, which sat in third place as recently as three weeks ago and spent 11 straight weeks in the eight before falling out in round 23.
"We want to be in the top eight and we don't just want to make it, we want to win finals and ultimately get to the end on that last day in September and win," Switkowski said.
"Every team has had good runs of momentum where they've won some quality games and then other parts of the season where they haven't played their best footy.
"Ultimately we find ourselves in the position that we are now … but it would be shattering and disappointing not to make the finals."
