With Nic Naitanui still up to a month away with groin issues, Eagles coach John Worsfold said either three-gamer Scott Lycett or rookie Callum Sinclair would be called on to support Dean Cox.
Lycett played in all three rounds of the NAB Cup, while Sinclair has not appeared since the round one lightning clashes with Geelong and Fremantle, but has since shown strong form with WAFL club Subiaco.
"Cox has shown the ability to ruck games out no worries at all, but we'll bring one of those guys in," Worsfold said.
Worsfold's Fremantle counterpart Ross Lyon is weighing how best to cover Aaron Sandilands' absence.
The 211cm ruckman has aggravated a hamstring injury , and fellow big man Zac Clarke is in doubt after suffering a minor injury at training on Tuesday.
Lyon said draftee Jack Hannath was in contention as back-up for Jonathon Griffin, with Kepler Bradley and Michael Johnson other options to provide ruck relief, and tall defender Tanner Smith also a chance to win selection.
"We have played some games where we have gone smaller," Lyon said.
"We know Michael Johnson can ruck, so it all depends how much run we want."
Hannath was training with Melbourne in December when he was taken as Fremantle's No.8 selection in the pre-season draft.
The 21-year-old has not played since round one of the NAB Cup, but Lyon was confident he could step up.
"He's raw, we understand that, but he's played senior football, and he's a really good athlete," Lyon said.
"We understand he's a long-term project, but he could certainly hold an end up."
Lyon said he had feared Clarke's injury was far more serious than it turned out to be.
"I was really worried at training," he said.
"It looked like he'd done an achilles or a big calf, but the MRI results have come through and it's just the plantaris (a small muscle in the foot), which you don't really need.
"So we were really relieved.
"We thought we'd lost a player for the year, and now he's a chance to play this week."
Scott Lycett is a forward in AFL Fantasy. He averaged 31.5 points in 2012. Register your team at our AFL Fantasy hub.
