![\"Sean](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/59b83538f3fd99752eae02c75e17aa65341abda8.jpg\")
Camera IconSean Darcy and Hayden Young will both miss Thursday\u2019s clash. Credit: 7NEWS\/7NEWS<\/p>\nSean Darcy has come out of Fremantle\u2019s side for their potentially season-defining clash with Sydney on Thursday night, with Mason Cox instead set to support Luke Jackson in the ruck.<\/p>\n
And the Dockers have officially ruled out Hayden Young for the top-of-the-table blockbuster, with veteran midfielder Jaeger O\u2019Meara favoured to replace the injured left-footer.<\/p>\n
Darcy has been listed as managed for what will be Fremantle\u2019s third game within the span of 12 days.<\/p>\n
The 2021 Doig medallist made his return from a calf injury against Gold Coast in round 16 and backed up to make the trip to Canberra for their streak-snapping loss to Greater Western Sydney on Saturday.<\/p>\n
He was not granted an instant AFL recall once he had recovered from the latest setback with his body, instead playing three games for Peel Thunder in the WAFL in order to build form and fitness as Cox deputised for him in the senior side.<\/p>\n
The American recruit has played eight AFL games this season, holding his own in the ruck but battling for influence as a forward.<\/p>\n
He managed two goals in what was just his second game for the club against Carlton in round seven but went without a major across his next six appearances.<\/p>\n
Camera IconSean Darcy and Hayden Young will both miss Thursday\u2019s clash. Credit: 7NEWS\/7NEWS<\/p>\n
Cox responded to his omission with a pair of strong performances for the Thunder in the last two weeks, including a 30 hit-out effort against one of the competition\u2019s premier big men in Claremont\u2019s Ollie Eastland last weekend.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Young has not managed to complete his recovery from a minor groin injury within a tight five-day turnaround from Fremantle\u2019s 21-point loss to the Giants.<\/p>\n
Earlier in the week, coach Justin Longmuir had flagged the possibility the Dockers could opt to cover for his absence by replacing him with a forward, but O\u2019Meara has instead won back a senior spot he lost after their bye.<\/p>\n
Singled out by the coach as being unlucky to find himself on the outer amid an unprecedented recent selection squeeze, the versatile 32-year-old has won 23 disposals and kicked a behind in each of his last two appearances for the Thunder.<\/p>\n
O\u2019Meara was one of two travelling emergencies for the Dockers\u2019 trip to the nation\u2019s capital last week, alongside speedy forward Chris Scerri.<\/p>\n
Utility Corey Wagner was held over for their win over Gold Coast in round 16 but has been overlooked despite gathering 28 disposals and kicking a goal for Peel last weekend.<\/p>\n
Sydney star Tom Papley has been passed fit to return from a calf strain to take on the Dockers, replacing utility Corey Warner in what is the Swans\u2019 only change.<\/p>\n
FREMANTLE v SYDNEY<\/p>\n
Optus Stadium, Thursday, 6.10pm<\/p>\n
DOCKERS<\/p>\n
B: B Cox A Pearce H Chapman<\/p>\n
HB: J Clark L Ryan K Worner<\/p>\n
C: N Erasmus A Brayshaw J O\u2019Meara<\/p>\n
HF: M Reid M Frederick S Switkowski<\/p>\n
F: P Voss J Amiss J Treacy<\/p>\n
FOLL: L Jackson C Serong S Bolton<\/p>\n
I\/C: J McVee M Johnson N O\u2019Driscoll I Dudley M Cox<\/p>\n
EMG: O McDonald B Walker C Scerri<\/p>\n
IN: J O\u2019Meara M Cox<\/p>\n
OUT: H Young (groin) S Darcy (managed)<\/p>\n
SWANS<\/p>\n
B: C Mills W Edwards T McCartin<\/p>\n
HB: D Rampe N Blakey H Cunningham<\/p>\n
C: M Roberts E Gulden J Serong<\/p>\n
HF: J Jordon J Lloyd J Rowbottom<\/p>\n
F: T Papley C Curnow H McLean<\/p>\n
FOLL: B Grundy I Heeney Ch Warner<\/p>\n
I\/C: H Kyle J Hamling T Hanily A Sheldrick C Cleary<\/p>\n
EMG: R Bice Co Warner L Melican<\/p>\n
IN: T Papley<\/p>\n
OUT: Co Warner (omitted)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sean Darcy has come out of Fremantle\u2019s side for their potentially season-defining clash with Sydney on Thursday night,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":787619,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[560],"tags":[638,64,63,55,639,10124,588,85],"class_list":["post-787618","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-afl","tag-afl","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australian-football-league","tag-australianfootballleague","tag-fremantle-dockers","tag-sport","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/787618","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=787618"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/787618\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/787619"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=787618"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=787618"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=787618"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}