ROSS Lyon "welled up" as reality hit that loyal servants Aaron Sandilands and Hayden Ballantyne are set to depart Fremantle, but says his side can't rely on emotion to get the job done against Essendon.
Despite their shattering loss to St Kilda, the Dockers are still a mathematical chance to make the eight and could still be alive entering round 23 if they beat the Bombers.
Lyon insisted he hadn't concerned himself working out the finals permutations, but called on his players to give Sandilands and Ballantyne appropriate send-offs by performing in their last home game.
Sandilands will hang up the size 18s at the end of season 2019. Picture: AFL Photos
"I tend to try and learn off the best and Leigh Matthews talks about that emotional burst lasts for about 30 seconds and then you've got another 119 minutes and 30 seconds to go of just hard work," Lyon said.
"If you get the right results, they'll (finals scenarios) take care of themselves. We just want to keep driving to the line.
"We just want to show the esteem we hold them in with great effort and action.
"They've been such great servants for the club, the club's been great to them, great warriors and just so self-directed and motivated, it just makes it really easy (to coach).
"Their longevity speaks for itself. They played a lot of finals series and instrumental in building the club up.
"You know everything they've gone through. There has been significant injury for both of them. Both really courageous.
"You tend to well up a little bit."
Ballantyne will leave the Dockers at season's end. Picture: AFL Photos
Lyon said it wasn't the right time to discuss a possible assistant coaching role for revered ruckman Sandilands and wouldn't buy into Ballantyne's chances of playing on at another club.
The Dockers have recalled the 32-year-old goalsneak alongside enigmatic forward Cam McCarthy for Saturday night's clash.
They hope Brennan Cox (hip) and Luke Ryan (hamstring) will be available for the round 23 trip to Port Adelaide, but damaging defender Nathan Wilson is done for the season due to bone bruising in his toe.
Lyon was without eight of his best 16 players last round due to injury, and it appears unlikely Stephen Hill (quad) will be seen again this season.
The unrestricted free agent's future remains up in the air amid interest from Gold Coast, while his brother Bradley and Ed Langdon are not certain to be playing in purple in 2020.
"I've never spoken to players about their contracts. I just coach them, build a relationship, work the environment," Lyon said.
"When I was at St Kilda, I had (Nick) Riewoldt out of contract, (Nick) Dal Santo, (Lenny) Hayes. Here I've had (Matthew) Pavlich and (David) Mundy and all those players.
"Stephen's been out of contract before, it's a reality of the business. You hopefully just work through those things.
"Our list management, Mark Micallef and Peter Bell who heads it, hopefully they can get it done."
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