There are 10 Dockers – all of them in the team's best line-up – saddled with a total of 705.31 carryover points.

 

By comparison, premiership contenders Hawthorn and the Sydney Swans each have four players with carryover points totalling 231.87 and 302.81 respectively.

 

Geelong (five players, 331.96 points), Port Adelaide (three players, 219.16) and North Melbourne (four players, 287.81 points) are also in a comfortable position. 

 

Fremantle forward Chris Mayne's 93.75 points will expire in the first week of the finals but key players including David Mundy (70.31), Hayden Ballantyne (59.38), Michael Johnson (70.31) and Zac Dawson (97.5) will walk a fine line for the rest of 2014.

 

Saturday night's clash will prove a stern test of discipline for both the Dockers and Geelong, with 11 Tribunal charges arising in match-ups between the teams in the past three seasons.

 

Not only is it important for Fremantle to have its best players available in September, the team faces crucial home-and-away clashes against Hawthorn and Port Adelaide in the final three rounds of the season.

Of course, having a league-high number of carryover points will prove irrelevant in the Dockers' flag quest if those players can avoid any transgressions for the rest of the season. 

 

In the race to qualify for finals, availability is just as crucial for teams like Adelaide, Collingwood, Essendon and Gold Coast.

 

The Crows find themselves with close to a clean sheet, with Richard Douglas (50 points) their only player suspended this season and taking carryover points into September.

 

Essendon's situation is more delicate, with key players Brendon Goddard (68.75 points), Jason Winderlich (46.48), David Myers (45) and Paul Chapman (45.31) all charged by the Match Review Panel this season.

 

Heath Hocking is carrying 85.63 points for striking Carlton's Chris Yarran last season but they will expire in round 22.

 

Remarkably Richmond is still a mathematical chance to qualify for finals, but like Fremantle its best players are on notice.

 

Vice-captain Brett Deledio is carrying 93.75 carryover points and star forward Jack Riewoldt has 60.

 

Ty Vickery, who was suspended for four matches for punching West Coast ruckman Dean Cox in the head, will return in round 23 with 95 carryover points on his record.

 

After accepting his two-match ban for an off-the-ball hit on Devon Smith at the weekend, midfielder Reece Conca will be forced to carry 43.75 points on his record for the next 12 months.