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Injury cloud over Freo backman

Injury cloud over Freo backman

Reliable defender Lee Spurr is doubt for Fremantle’s clash with Richmond on Friday night.

Spurr jogged laps at Dockers training this morning after copping a cork to his right leg against Adelaide on the weekend.

Coach Ross Lyon confirmed Spurr, who has taken on brilliant small forwards Lindsay Thomas and Eddie Betts in the past two weeks, would be monitored right up until the last minute.

Lyon said the team had pulled up well from the tough battle in the wet against the Crows.

“Lee Spurr is probably a bit slow but we're still hopeful,” Lyon said. “He won't do much today. “We'll probably give him a fitness test tomorrow.

“(We play Friday so) he's got a little bit of time. “Maybe even day of the game for him. “He's pretty important to us. “It was just a severe corkie so he's pretty slow.”

Lyon said there were plenty of options to replace Spurr if he doesn’t get up.

But he wouldn’t be drawn on whether young forward Matt Taberner was in danger of losing his spot after he was subbed out against Adelaide.

“(Hayden) Crozier, (Tendai) Mzungu, (Matt) de Boer and we'll have to look at the whole balance of the team,” he said. “Tommy Sheridan has been the sub and was really good so hopefully he'll be able to move into the
team, but we'll have to look at that.

“To be truthful, it's been nearly all on us. “We did a bit of Tigers this morning and we'll do a match committee later today and we don't even need to really put the team in until late tomorrow.”

Lyon said Zac Dawson’s surgery on his broken thumb had gone well yesterday.

“Surgery went really well,” he said. “I can only tell you what the surgeon told our doctor, who gave me an email at 11pm last night. “(He) said the surgery went really well, Zac was recovering.

“He's not in today and it's some time frame that goes with that. “It could be 4 it could be 6, it could be 8.”

But Dawson and Alex Silvagni’s (hamstring) continued absence meant they would be extra cautious with veteran key defender Luke McPharlin.

McPharlin will have the big task of stopping Richmond spearhead Jack Riewoldt on Friday night.

“We'll just be really cautious with him and he'll do light duties but he'll definitely play,” Lyon said.

“There's a few we'll just manage a little bit but we'll get them up and going by the end of the session but we're in pretty good nick really.”

McPharlin, Aaron Sandilands, Michael Johnson and Michael Walters were all on light duties during today’s session, breaking from the main group.