Fremantle's Aaron Sandilands to go forward in return from injury Aaron Sandilands will return to either AFL or WAFL ranks this weekend. FREMANTLE giant Aaron Sandilands looks set for his first action of the season as a deep forward camped close to goal in Sunday's clash against a struggling St Kilda in Perth. Sandilands, 30, still has to clear two more full training sessions to be given a go-ahead for his return after suffering horrible hamstring problems and needing surgery late last summer and it appears the 211cm ruck force will be a first-up ploy to in some ways resolve a Dockers lack of scoring alternatives. Sandilands today confirmed he would play at either WAFL or AFL level this weekend and said he was confident he'd be able to run the game out. However, champion power forward Matthew Pavlich is still expected to struggle to prove fully fit for his highly anticipated comeback. Pavlich, 31, is tipped to make a fiercely determined bid to play after missing three months following Achilles heel surgery back in early April. Dockers coach Ross Lyon and his medical staff is tipped to take a considerably cautious approach with any comeback plan for their superstar key forward to avoid any soft tissue injury soreness or injury setbacks with Pavlich leading into the late home-and-away roster as well as his crucial finals match conditioning preparation schedule. But, Fremantle is certain to recall gun midfield play-makers David Mundy and Michael Barlow to bolster forward line penetration with their massive ball-winning qualities. The rapidly emerging Dockers were humiliated in a 41-point loss to Geelong at Simonds Stadium last Saturday when strangled at their own measly defensive game and managed just seven entries inside their forward 50m arc in the second half. And the Cats' defensive press restricted the Dockers to an embarrassing one entry in the third quarter, the lowest ever for one term recorded by AFL statisticians Champion Data. Lyon all but confirmed Sandilands to return as a vital long-range target close to goal in a bid to bolster scoring against the Saints and then in Fremantle's run toward September finals, with strong prospects of a top-four finish and crucial double chance to start the premiership play-off series. Lyon pointed to the imposing goal-mouth firepower of proven Cats premiership big men Tom Hawkins and James Podsiadly as evidence in the value of planting tall, marking power up forward. Sandilands is also expected to be shielded from big ruck duties as the triple All-Australian rebuilds much needed match fitness and ball-touch and is expected to play forward with only occasional stints on the ball in support of rising big man Zac Clarke. That's something we want to add. Geelong would go long to Hawkins and Podsiadly when there was nothing else and they would cause a spill," Lyon said. We don't do a lot of that, because we haven't been super tall. So it hasn't been a stock, standard play. But we think once Aaron gets in the team and we play him forward... when you get held up at half-back, rather than have to switch (across field) you can just kick the ball long to Aaron and get underneath him. Lyon analysed how premiership favourites Hawthorn have further added to already imposing scoring power alongside superstar scoring force Lance Franklin, with the consistent goal supply offered by another versatile veteran Jarryd Roughead - who has booted 40 majors - as well as Luke Breust (26) and Jack Gunston with his 21. Fremantle's only double-figure goal scorers are small forward Michael Walters with his 23, key focal point Chris Mayne 22, as well as feisty opportunist Hayden Ballantyne on 14 from his 12 appearances. "Hawthorn have added that to their game this year and we'd like to add a bit of that, particularly with Aaron and Matthew back," Lyon said.