Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has suggested resting Marcus Bontempelli as a way to freshen up the battered superstar.
The captain continues to push through the pain of an injured knee, clearly the Bulldogs' best in their 12-point defeat to Fremantle on Friday night.
Bontempelli gathered a game-high 33 disposals and two goals, despite spending a large period of the last quarter on the bench.
When he did return to the ground, the 30-year-old kicked a soaring goal that gave the Bulldogs a chance of pinching a famous win.
But the Bulldogs' lengthy injury list means Beveridge is reluctant to sit Bontempelli out.
"It'd be nice to be able to do that," Beveridge said.
"With Marcus, we might need to rest him this week, I don't know, but we won't take any risks if we think he's going to get sore or he's going to re-injure something?
"He was quite outstanding for most of the game tonight, but you're seeing him limp a bit, I saw him limp a bit as the game went on, and I don't like to see that.
"It's a difficult thing to say to the playing group, 'be more like Marcus'.
"He doesn't want that. I don't want to say it, but he's just unconditional, he's uncompromising."
Fellow star midfielder Ed Richards has also been playing with injury, while veteran Tom Liberatore remains sidelined with a knee problem following a concussion.
Adam Treloar, who was listed as 'managed' for the clash with the Dockers after playing his first game of the season last week against Sydney, is battling to get his body right.
Beveridge described the 33-year-old's availability as "tenuous".
When asked if Treloar had suffered another soft-tissue setback, Beveridge didn't deny it.
"We've just given him a few days," he said.
"It's frustrating for him. His body's letting him down a little bit.
"Unfortunately, he just hasn't had any continuity and it's been frustrating for him with his body."
Fringe forward Laitham Vandermeer will be out for an extended period after hurting his hamstring against the Dockers.
But Beveridge expects ex-Gold Coast defender Connor Budarick to return from injury for next Friday night's away clash with Port Adelaide.
