FREMANTLE coach Ross Lyon is certain spearhead Jesse Hogan will return this season and is set to put faith in Cam McCarthy for Sunday's clash with Carlton.

Hogan was on crutches with his right foot in a moon boot at Cockburn on Wednesday after going down with a mid-foot sprain against former club Melbourne at the MCG. 

The boom recruit joins a glut of talls on the sidelines, with Matt Taberner (foot) and Alex Pearce (ankle) done for the year, while Rory Lobb (foot) and Aaron Sandilands (calf) are aiming to be back in the coming weeks.  

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Hogan doesn't have a timeline to return yet but Lyon holds no doubts he will be back this year – an excellent result after initial fears he had re-injured his navicular bone.  

"We're hoping it will move along relatively quickly," Lyon said.

"From my point of view, I want him back sooner rather than later, obviously."

In conditions that deteriorated after half-time, McCarthy kicked 1.3 in Peel's big win over Perth last Saturday.

The out-of-contract forward booted three straight majors in a narrow defeat to South Fremantle the previous week and is primed for his first Dockers appearance in eight rounds.

"It's more than likely, I would think," Lyon said.

"He played really well on the weekend, is my understanding, and the last couple of weeks and his workrate has been high." 

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The Dockers are expected to recall Adam Cerra to replace Stephen Hill, who will miss three weeks with a hamstring strain.  

Hill was playing just his second match this season after repeat quad trouble when he attempted to kick the ball out of the air and felt his hamstring go.  

"We can't be any more cautious than we have," Lyon said.  

"It's disappointing for Stephen. He's trying to prove up his durability, but fortunately it's not that quad that has been a long-term concern. 

"In some ways it might help the quad, because we were still a bit nervous about that and he's probably been a bit hesitant on his kicking."  

Stephen Hill is expected to miss at least three weeks with his hamstring injury. Picture: AFL Photos

Lyon said the Dockers, who are 7-6 and in eighth spot on the ladder, have their "destiny in our own hands" ahead of a must-win game against the last-placed Blues. 

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Fremantle is unlikely to change tactics and tag Patrick Cripps, despite the Giants' and Bombers' success locking down on the Carlton superstar, raising the prospect of a head-to-head duel with Nat Fyfe. 

Lyon was relieved to have Michael Walters available for the pivotal midfield battle after his successful Tribunal challenge, while ruckman Sean Darcy (ribs) looked unrestricted at training on Wednesday. 

Half-back Nathan Wilson (ankle) jogged laps with Joel Hamling, Luke Ryan, Ed Langdon and Jason Carter before heading indoors.

There was no sign of Harley Bennell, whose season could be over after his latest "devastating" calf setback. 

"As I said in the previous weeks, there was some trepidation about his return," Lyon said.  

"We knew he needed some more work and unfortunately, in a sense, that's been validated.

"For the God-given talent he's got it's incredibly frustrating, because clearly he'd be one of the highest performers in the AFL, but it's not to be at the moment."

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