FITTING lumbering ruck pair Aaron Sandilands and Sean Darcy into the same side will be a challenge this season, but one Fremantle coach Ross Lyon says he is willing to take up.

The use of the ruck master and his apprentice is looming as one of the key decisions for the Dockers as they count down to their round one appointment with Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval.

Darcy’s summer on the track has been slowed by a calf tear but the 19-year-old is in line to play in the JLT Community Series and make his case for the season opener.

Sandilands and Darcy are yet to be tested as a ruck combination. They were both selected in round 15 last season against St Kilda as Sandilands returned from injury. However, the veteran re-injured his hamstring just 18 minutes into the game and Darcy was forced to carry the ruck for the remainder of the match.

“I think it’s a challenge for them to both play in the same team, and one they can overcome,” Lyon told the AFL website.

“But we’ll have to have a look at it and give it an opportunity for a period of time to see how it works. There’s no firm decision yet on that.”

Camera Icon Sean Darcy is looking to take big strides this season. Credit: The West Australian

Fremantle and West Coast are shaping as two of the few clubs who will try to employ two genuine ruckmen this season, amid a shift towards more mobile running ruck backups.

Meanwhile, Lyon said banished star Harley Bennell needed to achieve skin fold and fitness targets during his eight-week ban before Fremantle would consider him again.

Bennell was sent to train with WAFL club Peel after being thrown out of a nightclub before training resumed following the Christmas break.

The troubled 25-year-old has played just two AFL games in his first two seasons at the Dockers, which were ruined by repeated calf injuries.

“We're all disappointed that Harley isn't with us and (that) the investment, at this point in time, hasn't paid off,” Lyon said.

“If we go over the last two years I could still make a strong case for a lot of the things Harley did right, but clearly some things have gone a way that we didn’t enjoy and needed to be held accountable and addressed.”