Fremantle ruckman Sean Darcy is finally pain free and ready to hit the tail end of the season with a bang - and his dog couldn't be happier.
The Dockers (13-6) have won nine of their past 10 matches to put themselves in the mix to nab a top-four berth with just four games remaining.
Fremantle will start as hot favourites in Sunday's clash with Carlton at Optus Stadium, and follow-up wins against Port Adelaide (away), Brisbane (home) and the Bulldogs (away) would almost certainly net them a prized double chance come finals time.
Darcy endured soft tissue injuries to go with knee and ankle complaints across 2023 and 2024, and there were more questions about his durability following a slow start this year.
But the 27-year-old has built nicely over recent weeks, and importantly is now pulling up well from games.
"It wasn't great before," Darcy said of his next-day soreness following matches.
"My dog didn't like me too much the next day after games. I wasn't taking him for walks too much.
"I'm pulling up a lot better now, and that's a credit to our rehab staff and our strength and conditioning staff."
The ruck combination of Darcy and Luke "Dogga" Jackson, which has come under heavy scrutiny in the past, is starting to pay big dividends.
The evolving nature of the relationship means that when Darcy is in the ruck, Jackson often spends time as a big-bodied midfielder, giving Fremantle an X-factor.
"I love the big fella. We're quite close off field as well, which makes it a bit easier," Darcy said.
"We're pretty selfless, both of us."
One quandary Darcy has encountered this year is the big question of who he should hit it to when he's competing for a ruck tap.
Hayden Young, Andrew Brayshaw, Caleb Serong and Shai Bolton are all A-grade midfielders, and Jackson is just as hungry to receive the ball when he's part of the engine room.
"I've got to keep them all happy - that's half the battle," Darcy said with a laugh.
"But no, we're a pretty selfless group. If we're winning, that's the main thing."
Young, playing just his second match back from hamstring surgery, won the Glendinning-Allan medal as best afield for his 23-disposal, three-goal display against West Coast last week.
"I had some chats with him in rehab, and that's a pretty dark place when you have multiple surgeries or multiple repeat injuries," Darcy said.
"He put his head down, and he worked, and you saw what kind of player he is."
