FREMANTLE players have trialled wearing a glove at training in preparation for possibly greasy conditions in Darwin on Saturday night.
The Dockers face Melbourne at TIO Stadium this weekend searching for a seventh straight win. Fremantle has only once previously played at the venue - in round 12, 2007 the Dockers lost to the Western Bulldogs by 26 points.
Only Ryan Crowley, David Mundy, Matthew Pavlich, Aaron Sandilands and Michael Johnson remain on the Fremantle list from the 22 that played in that game.
Danyle Pearce played at the venue on eight occasions for Port Adelaide while Colin Sylvia played there four times for Melbourne.
At training on Thursday at least 13 Dockers wore gloves in the cold morning dew at Fremantle Oval to determine a benefit for Saturday night.
"I’m not sure who suggested it," coach Ross Lyon said following the session.
"Because of the humidity up there, they will trial it now with a view to wearing them in the game.
"Obviously it's not humid here (in Perth), it's beautiful, but if we need them they will wear them. It depends on the conditions."
Lyon said the gloves weren’t a directive from him. Instead, it was just a case of Fremantle being typically diligent in its preparation.
"I give them enough orders as it is," he said.
"I asked who would try them and a fair few guys put their hands up.
"It's attention to detail - we try to give ourselves the best opportunity."
Luke McPharlin appears set to return after missing the last three matches with a medial ligament strain. Lyon said his All Australian defender would need to get through training on Thursday before being named.
The Fremantle coach said he needed McPharlin back as he revealed that Alex Silvagni has a collapsed lung as a result of a heavy collision in round 13 against Richmond and would miss at least another week.
Matt Taberner filled in admirably in defence last week but Lyon said the youngster had a slight soft tissue injury and would not play on Saturday night.
"Hopefully Luke will come up and he'll play," Lyon said.
"Otherwise we have some real difficulties."
Lyon believes his side is only travelling at 75 per cent at present, despite the fact that the Dockers have won six in a row and sit inside the top four.
"We have plenty of improvement left in us and we are all working really hard to improve," Lyon said.
"We are still a little bit inconsistent but it's coming along. There is a real energy in the group, a real determination to improve our footy and to try and catch the best teams in the competition."
