FREMANTLE veterans Aaron Sandilands and Michael Johnson are back training with the Dockers' main group and are possibly "a few weeks away" from returning, coach Ross Lyon says.
Sandilands has not played since round three following a serious rib and lung injury while Johnson has not played since round five after suffering a knee and hamstring injury that required surgery.
The recovery process for both has been long and arduous, and the club has been unable to give precise time frames on their returns.
Sandilands was ahead of Johnson in his conditioning, but suffered some adductor tightness a couple of weeks back.
Both men trained with the main group on a miserable Thursday morning at Fremantle Oval.
Sandilands did some contact ruck work with Jon Griffin, Zac Clarke and Jack Hannath, while Johnson was pulled out of a drill to do a series of sprints, which he completed at good pace before rejoining the main group.
Lyon has been adamant that both players would play again this season and he has also been firm in his belief that there was a benefit to having them back rather than resting them for 2017.
He has previously stated that Johnson would likely need to come back through the WAFL, but Sandilands is a chance to come straight back into the Dockers line-up when he is ready.
The Dockers have home matches against the Sydney Swans and West Coast following the trip to the Gold Coast this week.
Lyon also revealed that Michael Barlow's shoulder injury was serious.
Barlow had surgery on Tuesday and required a trauma specialist to do the operation given the damage to his shoulder socket.
"It was a tricky operation," Lyon said.
"He was in a bit of pain, but he's so tough.
"He will be out of hospital now. There was no nerve damage. There was some concern there was some nerve damage. It was a little bit unusual, the injury. He fractured some of the shoulder socket.
"But they've played with it and repaired it, and he'll be really healthy in time."
Lyon was asked about Barlow's future given he is out of contract at the end of the season, but said he did not want to comment on list management issues in the media.
