Fremantle ruck veteran Aaron Sandilands will play on next year after accepting a combined playing and coaching agreement to extend his accomplished AFL career into a 17th season.

The Dockers champion will help develop younger ruckmen.

The dual Dockers club champion and four-time All-Australian will assist with further development of emerging 20-year-old Dockers lead ruck hopeful Sean Darcy as well as back-up big men Lloyd Meek, Luke Strnadika and Scott Jones.

Sandilands has considered whether to accept a new one-year contract leading into the closing stages of the 2018 home-and-away schedule as he nurses a niggling calf injury and missed the last seven games.

The 211cm ruck specialist has been restricted to just 11 games this season with hamstring and calf strains after making 10 appearances last year and just five in 2016.