Fremantle coach Mark Harvey has warned his players to be on time or "cop it sweet" after revealing midfielders Garrick Ibbotson and Ryan Crowley were dropped from last week's AFL win over Melbourne for disciplinary reasons.

Harvey said Crowley and Ibbotson arrived late to training last week and were subsequently dropped from the team after consultation with the club's leadership group.

"I guess it gives us a good opportunity to have a look at that side of the game and what you can and can't do," Harvey said on Wednesday.

"You wouldn't like it to be in-season, put it that way, (having to) make a decision like that.

"It doesn't matter how late they were, they were late and they copped it.

"They understand fully and cop it sweet."

It isn't the first time Harvey has had to suspend players for disciplinary reasons, with Brett Peake and Dean Solomon dropped last year for separate late-night drinking sessions.

Harvey indicated both Crowley and Ibbotson were almost certain to return for Sunday's NAB Cup quarterfinal showdown with North Melbourne at Etihad Stadium.

The match will be Crowley's first appearance since fracturing his foot against West Coast in round six last year.

"He's always got a good fitness base so he's ready to go," Harvey said

"It gives him a good opportunity to redeem himself."

Byron Schammer and Adam McPhee will miss the clash with North Melbourne after suffering ankle injuries against the Demons, but Chris Tarrant and Nick Suban are in line to play their first match of the pre-season.

Harvey said he would consider resting older players such as Matthew Pavlich, Aaron Sandilands and Des Headland.

"The older guys ... take a while to get up at this stage of the season," he said.

"So we will have to monitor those guys and see how they are tomorrow."

Harvey said he had no fears about the state of the Etihad Stadium surface despite the ground being in poor condition following the recent AC/DC concert.

"I'm used to playing on surfaces that were a lot worse than that," he said.

"We are glad to be playing there because we have six games there (during the home-and-away season).

"So particularly for guys who haven't played there it will be a good opportunity for those guys to see how they go.

"And we've been working on different training methods too for that ground ... the ground size."

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