Fremantle veteran Des Headland may yet receive the chance to go out with a bang as the Dockers consider recalling him for Saturday's AFL final against Hawthorn.

Headland hasn't featured in AFL ranks since succumbing to a troublesome knee injury in round four and is no certainty to play on next year, with his current deal expiring at season's end.

But the 29-year-old is firmly in the selection mix for Fremantle's first final since 2006 after successfully negotiating his way through the past four rounds in the WAFL.

Ryan Crowley, who booted seven goals in the WAFL last week, leads the race to replace injured goalsneak Hayden Ballantyne.

But Dockers assistant coach Barry Mitchell said Headland's X-factor could play in the former Lion's favour.

"What Des can do is ... really hurt you on the scoreboard," Mitchell said on Wednesday.

"He doesn't need many opportunities to hurt you and sometimes two or three goals can be the difference in those games, and Des can do that.

"He's been back four weeks and played quite well on the weekend so I don't think it's a huge risk (if we bring him back)."

Midfielder Rhys Palmer is another player hoping for a recall after a disappointing year.

Palmer, the winner of the 2008 Rising Star award, has struggled for form in his first season back from a knee reconstruction but could come into the side at the expense of Paul Hasleby, who has battled a knee complaint in recent weeks.

"I don't know that he's been totally out of form," Mitchell said of Palmer.

"A couple of games we didn't play well in and he may have bore the brunt of that a little bit.

"I think he's contributed strongly at times this year so I think definitely he can come in.

"Rhys has obviously come off a knee reconstruction and that's not easy.

"He's obviously a very talented player and a really good junior player, a Rising Star.

"I mean he's hit a little bit of a hurdle but we're confident he'll come through it and he's going to be a very good player for us.

"His contested play and his tackling and his ferocity is what we love about him." Hawthorn's week has been dominated by the news of midfielder Travis Tuck's 12-match AFL ban for recording a third strike under the AFL's illicit drugs policy.

Fremantle endured their own drugs controversy when Michael Johnson pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine earlier this year.

Mitchell played down talk Tuck's downfall could hurt Hawthorn's mindset this weekend.

"I think they're a pretty seasoned team and their players are pretty hard nosed, so I'm sure they'll cope with it," he said.

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP