AS THE AFL world waits to see if Ryan Crowley's name is on Fremantle's team sheet on Thursday afternoon, one thing is for certain – it's a purely football decision.
As unlikely as it seems that the Dockers would risk the 31-year-old on the preliminary final stage, coach Ross Lyon has added to the mystery all week.
In every interview he's done, the Dockers headmaster has left the door ever so slightly ajar.
Match preview: Fremantle v Hawthorn
And in reality, it's Lyon – and his football lieutenants – who hold the key to unlocking a Crowley tag, most likely on Sam Mitchell.
Despite the controversial nature of Crowley's absence, the Fremantle administration believes it has done its job, and has no role to play in managing the tagger's potential return.
"It's easy. It's a match committee decision," Fremantle chief executive Steve Rosich told AFL.com.au.
"If Ryan's fit and available, which he is at this point in time, then it's really a match committee decision on whether he plays on Friday night."
In March, Crowley was banned for 12 months by the AFL Anti-Doping Tribunal for taking a banned substance, but the penalty was backdated, making him available in preliminary final week.
All that needed to happen for this to become the story that it was, for Freo to reach the penultimate week of the season.
"All those situations are unique in themselves, and this one was," Rosich explained.
"I think we handled it well as a club - the AFL said that.
"Ryan certainly had some challenges personally and professionally to get through that process, but he's prepared himself well, he's integrated himself well back into the club and into training, and he's putting his hand up. "
Lyon's match committee will meet at the club's Fremantle Oval base on Thursday to finalise the 25-man squad to face Hawthorn.
The 22 names and three emergencies have to be sent across to the AFL in Melbourne by mid-afternoon Perth time.
There's even speculation Crowley could be named as an emergency.
That would further add to the intrigue – and the potential of a polarising football comeback – that will keep the Hawks guessing all the way up until 90 minutes before the bounce.
