Brennan Cox has been overlooked for a grand final recall, with the key defender instead figuring as their hard-luck story after the Dockers opted to name an unchanged line-up for Saturday’s grand final clash against Brisbane.

And the Lions will have Lachie Neale at their disposal for the season decider after the two-time Brownlow medallist’s suspension was stunningly overturned by the AFL’s appeals board on Thursday afternoon.

The Dockers opted against selecting Cox for what would have been his first competitive game in 35 days against the back-to-back reigning premiers at the MCG.

They have instead retained their faith in Oscar McDonald, who has largely deputised ably in his absence at the back-end of their campaign.

Cox hurt his calf in Fremantle’s final game of the home and away season against Carlton.

After overcoming the injury, he was slated to line up for Peel Thunder in Sunday’s WAFL grand final before later being withdrawn, in a decision his coach Justin Longmuir attributed in midweek to McDonald copping a heavy hit late in their preliminary final victory over Sydney last week.

A strong training performance at the club’s main session in Perth on Wednesday ultimately proved insufficient for his hopes of earning a recall.

Fremantle’s coach Justin Longmuir said the call to overlook Cox was an agonising one.

“I’m on record saying, fully fit, he’s in our best 23,” Longmuir told AFL 360.

“He’s a gun key back, but we’ve just gone for continuity and we’ve gone for match fitness in a grand final. We think that’s really important.

“He’s just had a lack of continuity in the back half of the season, and that’s really (why) he’s paid the price.”

McDonald, who joined the Dockers after stints with Melbourne, Carlton and in the VFL, has been chosen to line up in his first grand final as part of what will be an unchanged side for the second week running.

But Longmuir said the three-club journeyman had not been guaranteed his place in the side early in the week, and Fremantle’s match committee instead waited until after Wednesday’s training session to finalise their side.

“I think Oscar’s pretty comfortable with where he is in the team. The main decision was more around ‘do we go for three talls’, rather than Oscar being the one missing out,” Longmuir said

“We think it’s the right way to go.”

Cox has been named among Fremantle’s emergencies, alongside experienced midfielder Jaeger O’Meara and small forward Chris Scerri. Speedy defender Brandon Walker was also among their 27-player travelling party.

Shortly after the Dockers touched down at Melbourne Airport on Thursday afternoon, All Australian defender Jordan Clark said there would inevitably be heartbreak stories in the final week of the season.

“Coxy has been a wonderful player for us,” Clark said.

“There always is (heartache). You just wrap your arms around them. As cliched as it is, there is always a heartbreak story. Unfortunately it’s got to happen every year. They’re still part of us.”

Cox has played 18 games for Fremantle this season and has made 153 appearances for the Dockers over the course of a 10-year AFL career.

The South Australian was in strong form as the Dockers peeled off a stunning streak of 14 consecutive victories in the early stages of their campaign, with Longmuir calling him “probably the most underrated key back in the comp” after they defeated Gold Coast in round 16.

But his form wavered as niggles with his body emerged, including a knee problem which resulted in him being managed in rounds 20 and 21.

Meanwhile, Neale — who has become one of the competition’s best players since leaving the Dockers for the Lions in 2018 — and the Lions managed to overturn the one-match suspension he was handed by the match review officer for striking Hawthorn’s Jack Ginnivan in their last-gasp preliminary final victory.

Brisbane immediately challenged the ban but were shot down by the AFL tribunal after a marathon four-hour hearing on Tuesday, before being successful with their last avenue of appeal within the competition.

Longmuir said he had always expected Neale’s suspension would be overturned and his team had been preparing as if Brisbane’s star midfielder would play.

“It’s probably taken a little bit longer than I expected to get to this point,” he said.

“I understand the rationale behind it.

“If he didn’t play, one of their other guys just picks up a little bit more (midfield) time, and they’ve got guys that are lining up to get in there.

“Clearly, we’re going to put some time into him now. We’ve already put some time into him and he’s a champion of the game, so having him out there’s going to help them.”

Brisbane have also named an unchanged line-up for their final game of their season, with WA’s Cody Curtin, Noah Answerth and Bruce Reville figuring as their emergencies.

FREMANTLE v BRISBANE

Saturday, 12.30pm, MCG

DOCKERS

B: J Clark A Pearce J McVee

HB: K Worner O McDonald H Chapman

C: M Johnson A Brayshaw N Erasmus

HF: M Frederick M Reid S Switkowski

F: J Amiss J Treacy P Voss

FOLL: L Jackson C Serong S Bolton

I/C: I Dudley M Cox H Young C Wagner L Ryan

EMG: B Cox C Scerri J O’Meara

LIONS

B: T Gallop H Andrews R Lester

HB: D Wilmot D Gardiner D Zorko

C: J Berry W Ashcroft Z Bailey

HF: C Cameron L Morris O Allen

F: E Hipwood C Rayner K Lohmann

FOLL: D Fort J Dunkley L Neale

I/C: S Draper J Fletcher H McCluggage L Ashcroft C McKenna

EMG: C Curtin B Reville N Answerth