Injured Fremantle Dockers ruckman Zac Clarke ahead of schedule in recovery Zac Clarke (left) is set to be fit for Round 1 despite a pre-season injury. Picture: Mark Dadswell Source: News Limited EMERGING Fremantle ruckman Zac Clarke is ahead of recovery schedule and is set to be available for a season opening blockbuster with Collingwood in March. Dockers coach Ross Lyon revealed in Perth this afternoon that his back-up ruck force to veteran giant Aaron Sandilands is expected to be fully recovered from a knee injury and in full training ahead of the new AFL premiership season. Clarke, 23, suffered a posterior ligament strain in his knee in an accident at a music festival back in his home state of Victoria on New Years Eve. The athletic big man, who played 17 senior games last season including the finals series as no.2 ruck to Sandilands, had been expected to be out of action for two months and likely to miss the start of the season proper. But damage to his knee is not as bad as first predicted. Lyon said scans had indicated damage at the "lesser end" and that Clarke had responded well to early treatment. Clarke is tipped to be back into full running and training by early next month. "It's at the lesser end and I expect him to be playing in Round 1," said Lyon. It's not ideal, but we want them (players) to have healthy, active lives outside of their break. It's a really good period for them to freshen up and work hard and unfortunately sometimes people are going to get hurt. But we all live and we learn and I think there are always sporadic moments for all AFL clubs. It's a good lesson to try and look after yourself. Lyon confessed that only three Dockers - Kepler Bradley, Jon Griffin and injury ravaged young midfield hopeful Anthony Morabito, who are all in full knee reconstruction programs - are unlikely to play in the season opener. The Dockers will continue with utility Alex Silvagni out of action well into the new season after foot surgery, while dashing midfielder Stephen Hill will be on light duties for at least a week with thigh tightness. "We're fundamentally fit and available," Lyon said. There's not too many things that I am looking at and thinking they won't be available Round 1. We're tracking through as many as we can. Lyon revealed that he is maintaining sights on a unique season opener presence on the national stage to kick start the AFL season. He alluded to a revised game style in his ruthlessly defensive unit that was the tightest side in the league last year, conceding an average of just 70 points a game in making it through the Fremantle's first ever grand final and loss to Hawthorn. You can't win finals until you've earned the right to play in them. So we're in the process of building a great foundation to launch into season 2014," Lyon said. So our number one focus is to get fit and available to train up the game plan. We will tweak some areas, not dramatically, but the game evolves all the time and then we've got the honour of opening up the season in Melbourne, one which we're very excited about. We've earned that right. To the people that tune in to watch us is really a growing audience and we're proud of that. So we want to open off Round 1, a full house at Etihad against the Collingwood Football Club. Lyon would not predict any prospect of taking his premiership favourites to a title after the Dockers 15-point loss to the Hawks last September. We're certainly not going to caught up in any predictions. Never done that before," he said bluntly. We focus on the hard work and paying the price now and the results will follow. Without naming contenders Lyon predicted eight genuine premiership hopes and as many as 15 sides could play finals this year. The Dockers are $4.20 flag favourites with Western Australian based TAB Sportsbet ahead of Sydney at $4.65, with Hawthorn third in betting at $5.25.