FREMANTLE is investigating new methods to strengthen ruckman Sean Darcy's troublesome knee as he targets a return to full training after Christmas following post-season surgery.

Darcy underwent an arthroscope at the end of last month to "stabilise some margins" in his left knee after playing through discomfort and missing the last three games of the season.

The 26-year-old underwent a similar procedure on the opposite side of his left knee at the start of the season, with the Dockers now optimistic the important big man can put the issue behind him with some changes to his summer program.

"He'll transition into a specified program as we come back from the 25th of November for that three or four-week period … and set him up to hopefully get back in full training after the Christmas break," general manager of football Joe Brierty told AFL.com.au.

"We're looking at what interventions and other opportunities there are from a programming perspective, particularly from a strength point of view with his knee, to hopefully put the issues that we've had behind us and get it right.

"So we feel like if we can get this right moving forward, we should be able to make sure that he's really strong and able to take the load that he's going to need to obviously.

"But around that means there's probably some specification in his programming moving forward in the gym and the diligence that's going to be required from a programming point of view."

Brierty said the recent operation on the medial side of Darcy's knee had gone well while also giving specialists a chance to confirm there were no issues on the lateral side, which was operated on in March to remove "loose bodies" around the joint.

The setbacks had frustrated Darcy, who was restricted to 12 games this year after also suffering an ankle injury in 2023, but he was ready to make changes to his summer program.

"From a conditioning perspective and even in terms of his craft and approach to his ruck work, there's some opportunities for us there moving forward to make sure that we can give him a clean bill of health and have a really strong season in 2025," Brierty said.

"Obviously the start of this year was interrupted so our plan is to get him back post-Christmas and then not have any setbacks and set him up for a really successful season."

With midfielder Hayden Young recovering well from a fracture in his fibula that didn't require surgery, the Dockers avoided any other significant post-season operations.

The club held its best and fairest on Wednesday night, where it farewelled popular backline coach Matthew Boyd, who is returning to Melbourne to take up an assistant coaching role with Collingwood.

Brierty said the club was now going through a formal process to replace the Western Bulldogs premiership player, with the option of promoting from within.

"We're always open to succession, and it's important having someone that knows our system. But having said that, bringing someone in from an external point of view with new ideas and a different lens is helpful as well," Brierty said.

"So really looking to focus on the best candidate for the role and setting us up for 2025.

"We'll work through a process now to formalise a list of candidates and then discuss that internally in terms of the process we follow (but) we've obviously got some time with the first players back on the 14th of November."

The Dockers' 2024 season was viewed across the club as a missed opportunity, with chief executive Simon Garlick declaring on Wednesday night that it was time now for the club to deliver on its promise.

"The talk of our youth and the build and the sustained success and contention being a mythical place in the future is done. The time for us is now,” Garlick said.

"We don’t need to overcomplicate it, we have what we need here. Put simply, it’s time to go."

Club champion Caleb Serong agreed after winning his second consecutive Doig Medal, with the dual All-Australian convinced the Dockers were ready to compete in September.

"We believe that, and that's not something we've shied away from … we believe we are ready to play at this time," he said.

"Seeing the teams we’ve played throughout the year and how we competed – and the games that were swung on moments – in 90 per cent of those games we were in or competed or were better than the competition we played against.

"Seeing what those teams are now doing in finals, there’s a very fine line between those teams and winning and losing at this level at the moment."