Fremantle coach Ross Lyon reckons Hawthorn are simply too classy to allow a worrying injury toll to kill off their premiership chances.
Lyon rates the Hawks, Swans and Power as the three flag fancies at the moment, but he hopes the Dockers can join that bracket by the end of the AFL home-and-away season.
Hawthorn (6-2) are in the midst of an injury crisis that's set to threaten their bid to land a top-two berth.
Brian Lake (calf), Cyril Rioli (hamstring), Sam Mitchell (hamstring) and Josh Gibson (torn pectoral) are all carrying significant injuries, while forward Jarryd Roughead will miss Saturday night's top-of-the-table clash with Port Adelaide through suspension.
But Lyon said the defending premiers were too good to simply fall to bits.
"It challenges you, but they've proven over a long period of time that they can cover without those guys and get them ready for the pointy end," Lyon told Perth radio station 6PR.
The Dockers, who were beaten by Hawthorn in last year's grand final, will enter this week's bye at 5-4 following Saturday's 32-point win over Geelong.
Although Fremantle have endured an inconsistent start to the year, their top-four hopes appear bright due to their soft draw in the second half of the year.
And with defender Luke McPharlin (quad) set to return after the bye, only Michael Walters (ankle) is missing from the club's best 22.
The Dockers will face the Bulldogs, Crows, Tigers, Lions, Eagles, Demons, Giants, Saints and Blues over the next nine weeks, but Lyon said it would be wrong to simply assume his side would romp to victories.
"Everyone's starting to bang on about how our draw opens up," Lyon said.
"But people who are writing or talking about those things certainly aren't looking at how Adelaide beat Collingwood; Melbourne beat Richmond.
"There are a lot of see-saw results. I knew coming in it would be incredibly even. It's what the AFL's been after.
"At this level if you're off five per cent in your intensity, you're going to be under a lot of pressure."
Ruckman Zac Clarke is free to play in next week's clash with the Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium after accepting a reprimand for elbowing Geelong playmaker Steve Johnson.
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