Mark Harvey has stood by his decision to axe Dean Solomon for one AFL game, even though the Fremantle coach admits the punishment may be a tad harsh compared to other clubs.

Solomon was stood down for Sunday's clash with Carlton after the Dockers got wind of his marathon drinking session with former teammate Mark McVeigh, which went into the early hours of Monday morning in a Melbourne pub.

Although Solomon completed all of his training obligations with Fremantle upon his return to Perth, the club's hierarchy and leadership group deemed his actions unacceptable.

"We are trying to educate them the best way to prepare to become an elite team and sometimes individuals will step over the line," Harvey said on Thursday.

"With a young group you need to point them in the right directions, and this is another example of that.

"Perhaps our policy is a lot stricter than other clubs.

"We let Dean stay over (in Melbourne) for reasons other than (to drink).

"You don't want to hinder your preparation at all ... and this is an education process for everyone.

"There are expectations of everyone at AFL level ... it is a matter of toeing the line.

"Society in general is changing."

Essendon suspended McVeigh for one week but only because he missed a compulsory training session on the Monday.

Fremantle skipper Matthew Pavlich, who was involved in the decision to stand down Solomon, said his teammate should have known better.

"I don't want to make our players robots," Pavlich told Perth radio.

"They have to live a normal life, they're grown men.

"Dean's 28, he understands most of the time what is and what isn't acceptable.

"It's just that on this occasion his level of professionalism didn't meet what we're trying to set down here.

"The final decision is made by the club as a whole and ... had nothing to do with the Mark McVeigh decision."

Solomon may not even feature in the WAFL this weekend due to a niggling knee injury.

"He has got a grumbling knee," Harvey said.

Carlton wielded the axe for Sunday's match, with Nick Stevens and Heath Scotland high-profile casualties.

Jordan Bannister and Steven Browne were also dropped, while Paul Bower is out with a knee injury.

Defender Bret Thornton returns to bolster the defence, while the Blues also named Joe Anderson, Greg Bentley, Cameron Cloke, Jeff Garlett, Chris Johnson, Jordan Russell and Chris Yarran in their extended squad.

The Dockers will be without Pavlich (calf) and Solomon.

Ryan Murphy, Adam Campbell, Kepler Bradley, Clayton Hinkley and Daniel Gilmore were all included in the 25-man squad.

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