FREMANTLE ruckman Aaron Sandilands is ready to return this week from his long layoff with a serious rib and lung injury, and says he has no concerns about returning against the man who caused the injury in Nic Naitanui.

Sandilands has not played since round three when he suffered multiple rib fractures and a collapsed lung after he backed into a marking contest and copped a knee in the ribs from Naitanui.

The Eagles star took the mark legally but the incident sent Sandilands to hospital for a week.

He needed his lung reinflated and several plates inserted to repair multiple fractures to his ribs.

Sandilands will have those plates in his ribs for the rest of his life, but he said he is fully recovered and has no problems in facing Naitanui this week in the Western Derby on Sunday.

"This is the week that I'm ready to come back and play and it didn't matter whoever the side was," he said.

"I'm just more excited to get back out there in amongst the boys.

"The body is good. I feel good. It's just a matter of getting back out there and getting the match fitness back.

"I've had plenty of contact within that area and they wouldn't let me back out there unless (the ribs) were 100 per cent right and they are. So I'm fully confident."

Sandilands said he had trained with a guard on his ribcage but he was undecided whether he would wear one in the game on the weekend.

"It's more than comfortable," he said, adding that he would consult with the club doctor and physios before making a decision on using a guard against the Eagles.

Sandilands said he was always intent on playing again this year despite questions surrounding the benefit of him returning given the Dockers cannot make the finals and he was contracted for next season.

"I think there's a lot of benefit," Sandilands said.

"Obviously it was round three when I last played and not coming back is pretty much a whole year without football.

"So I see it as a really important four-week block, otherwise it's going to be a very long pre-season."

The Dockers have struggled in the ruck department since Sandilands went down, with Zac Clarke, Jon Griffin and Jack Hannath all tried in various combinations and all omitted at one point on form.

The Dockers have also used key position players Matt Taberner, Zac Dawson, Alex Pearce, Tanner Smith and Sam Collins to pinch-hit.

They have failed to settle on a combination but Sandilands said he thought Clarke had played well in the last two weeks.

"I think Clarkey has taken a couple of steps forward over the last few weeks, starting to build a bit of consistency," Sandilands said.

"He managed to get a bit of the ball around the ground on the weekend as well.

"The guys are training hard and trying hard. We know we need to improve as a group, and we'll keep working on it."

Youngster Michael Apeness is another option as a key forward/second ruck after he bagged five goals in the WAFL on Saturday.

It was just his second game back after breaking his collarbone in round 11 against Essendon.