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Sumich talks up Dockers squad

Fremantle assistant coach Peter Sumich has declared the club's playing stocks the best they have been in his time at the club as the Dockers continue their steady build-up to a blockbuster round one showdown with Collingwood.

Speaking before the Dockers went through 40 minutes of match simulation at Fremantle Oval this morning, Sumich said recruits Colin Silvia and Scott Gumbleton were both progressing well, while ruckman Zac Clarke, who is recovering from an off-season knee mishap, is on target to face the Pies.

"He is tracking along well," Sumich said. "Hopefully he will be ready for round one, that is our aim and we will go from there."

Sumich was hopeful Clarke would be ready to resume full training within the next fortnight as he built towards the start of the season.

The Dockers sat Silvia, midfielders Stephen Hill and Tendai Mzungu, ruckmen Kepler Bradley and Jon Griffin and forward Chris Mayne out of this morning's match practice.

Anthony Morabito was also excluded but is now very close to joining full training.

"We haven't really talked about that as a match committee with the medical people. We will sit down over the next week or so. We will see him train for two weeks and then we will discuss that," Sumich said of Morabito.

He said Silvia had suffered a slight injury, believed to be a hamstring strain.

Fremantle players Hayden Ballantyne, Aaron Sandilands and Nat Fyfe at training today. Pic: Getty Images


"He is back out there now. He had a slight hiccup with a leg injury but he is fine. He is back out there and looking really good."

Mzungu was backed off from training after developing soreness following an outstanding pre-Christmas training schedule.

"He has pulled up a little bit sore because he had done everything leading into Christmas and then after that week or so he was flying and just pulled up a bit sore. He will be back into training next week," Sumich said.

Gumbleton moved impressively as a forward in the opening minutes of the match simulation before the media were ushered out.

Nat Fyfe cools down at Fremantle Oval. Pic: Getty Images