FREMANTLE'S 2023 forward line is taking shape after captain Nat Fyfe built form as a deep target and young gun Jye Amiss pushed his case during match simulation on Friday.
Fyfe, who again completed the entire session as a forward, kicked two first-quarter goals and looked in good touch as the Dockers pitted what appeared to be A and B teams against each other for three periods at their Cockburn base.
It was young forward Amiss who stood out, however, playing on the inexperienced B team but booting three goals, including a clever snap after he crashed a pack inside 50 and then gathered possession cleanly.
WAFL forward Sam Stubbs, who is pushing for a list spot through the Supplemental Selection Period, also kicked three goals for the B team and engaged in a physical match-up with defender Heath Chapman, who returned to full training.
Goalkicker Matt Taberner lifted his workload in the highly contested session, working high up the ground, marking strongly on the lead and finishing with two goals after being managed through the pre-season.
The notable omissions were star midfielder Andrew Brayshaw and ruckman Sean Darcy, with both sitting out to have their loads managed rather than any injury concern, according to the Dockers, with Brennan Cox also on light duties but appearing unencumbered.
Star midfielder Caleb Serong was a standout with his clean hands and link-up play through the midfield, becoming heavily involved as the match practice went on.
He lined up at centre bounces on the A team with Will Brodie and Jaeger O'Meara, who also had impressive passages and combined well with each other several times at stoppages around the ground.
Wingman James Aish rotated through the centre bounces, kicking a late goal from outside 50m, with Ethan Hughes lining up on the other wing for the more experienced side.
Small forward Sam Switkowski was in fine touch and creative throughout in a forward line that included Luke Jackson for the majority of the session before a late run in the ruck.
With Darcy missing and Jackson playing forward, first-year big men Liam Reidy and Max Knobel did battle in the ruck.
A young midfield on the B team took it up to their more seasoned opponents, highlighting the depth of options available to coach Justin Longmuir this season.
The regular centre bounce trio was impressive second-year pair Neil Erasmus and Matt Johnson alongside wingman Nathan O'Driscoll, who is working on his inside game this pre-season and had several good involvements.
Erasmus was the most eye-catching, however, continuing an excellent pre-season with a prolific showing that included multiple clearances and hard tackles.
The selection of Hughes on one wing was noteworthy as the Dockers look to replace Blake Acres, with O'Driscoll also a likely option in that position.
Liam Henry played that role for the B team and had some piercing runs with the ball, while forward Michael Frederick also pushed up the ground to start as a winger on occasion for the A team.
With Cox missing, key defender Joel Hamling paired with Alex Pearce in the A team defence, with the drive of Hayden Young and Jordan Clark a key feature of the experienced unit's play.
