Fremantle coach Ross Lyon is expecting a congested battle on Geelong's "rectangle" field when the two teams lock horns at GMHBA Stadium this Saturday.
The ninth-placed Cats need to win their final two games - against Fremantle and Gold Coast - plus rely on other results to fall their way if they are to scrape into the finals.
Fremantle posted their eighth win of the season in last week's triumph over Carlton, and they are aiming to pull off an upset against Geelong on enemy territory.
The return of skipper Nat Fyfe is a big boost for the Dockers, while star goalsneak Michael Walters has been given the green light to play after scans cleared him of a hamstring injury.
Fremantle have won just once in eight attempts on the road this season, with their average losing margin a whopping 51.6 points.
GMHBA Stadium is a fortress for Geelong, with the Cats winning 23 of their past 26 games there.
But it has proven to be somewhat of a surprise happy hunting ground for Fremantle in recent years.
The Dockers have won two of their past four matches there, with the two losses being by two-point margins.
The ground is one of the longest in the competition at 170m. But at 116m wide, it's also the skinniest.
In comparison, the MCG is 138m wide.
"So you're talking almost a rectangle," Lyon said of Geelong's home venue, which was made 1m skinnier earlier this season to protect players crashing into the LED signage.
"There's going to be more congestion because it's so narrow.
"It's almost like corridor football, but it's long. That's going to be a bit unique in itself."
Geelong have suffered tight losses to Richmond and Hawthorn over the past fortnight, and they can't afford to slip up against the Dockers.
Geelong swingman Harry Taylor returns from a foot injury, while Jordan Murdoch, Jackson Thurlow, and Ryan Abbott were also called up.
Ruckman Rhys Stanley is out with a calf injury and faces a race against time to be fit for the finals, while Lachie Fogarty, James Parsons, and Quinton Narkle were all dropped.
