PRIZED Fremantle recruit Luke Jackson is set to be unleashed as a big-bodied midfielder in Sunday's western derby as coach Justin Longmuir attempts to spark his misfiring onball brigade into gear.
The Dockers are 0-2 after opening the season with shock losses to St Kilda and North Melbourne.
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The common factors for Fremantle across those two games were a malfunctioning forward line and an inability to win the contest and stoppage battles.
Jackson, who made a big-money move to Fremantle at the end of last season, has come under heavy criticism after taking just one mark and failing to kick a goal while playing predominantly as a forward across the opening two rounds.
The former Demon spent a small stint in the midfield against St Kilda in round one, but he's slated to play a much bigger onball role against West Coast.
"I think sometimes we get caught up in the stereotypes of what big men should do," Longmuir told reporters on Friday.
"He (Jackson) is a very good ground level player and a very good pressure player, which is what you need to be a midfielder.
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"We'll need his aerial presence down forward and we think he can turn that around, but he also offers us a lot at ground level.
"We need to start winning the contest around stoppages and he can assist in that area."
It's not only Jackson who will be sent into the midfield to add spark, with goalsneak Sam Switkowski another option.
Highly rated youngster Matthew Johnson will also get his chance after being named for his AFL debut as the tactical sub.
"I just think we need to do a few more of those things, change the energy, change the dynamic, not be as predictable," Longmuir said.
"At the moment, we're not really focusing on being a dominant midfield, we just need to make sure we break even in there.
"We haven't done that. Our hitouts - that (dominance) hasn't been transferring to breaking even.
"We need to change the mix up in there. We need to change our structure a little bit to see if we can make the most of what our big fellas (Sean Darcy and Jackson) are doing in the ruck."
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Longmuir said Jackson has been handling the criticism well.
"Like he said to me the other day he's played some average games at Melbourne as well," Longmuir said.
"So he understands the ups and downs of the AFL and he understands where he's at in his career.
"He's creating enough opportunities. He had three shots on goal against St Kilda, he created some more marking opportunities last week.
"The final piece of the puzzle is to take (those opportunities)."
Two-time Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe fell just short of proving his fitness in time for the derby, but Longmuir is optimistic the 31-year-old will be fit for next week's clash with Adelaide.
